Why in News?
The Supreme Court questioned whether the “potentiality of abuse” of Section 152 of the BNS—punishing acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity—can justify declaring it unconstitutional, while protecting journalist Siddharth Varadarajan and others from coercive police action.
Description:
- Purpose: Criminalises acts that excite secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatism, or endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
- Nature of Offence: Cognisable and non-bailable.
- Key Concern: Seen as a potential proxy for the repealed Section 124A (sedition) of the IPC, despite the government’s announcement of sedition’s repeal.
- Criticism:
- Uses vague and undefined terms like “endangering unity” or “sovereignty,” allowing broad interpretation.
- Low threshold for offence (term “knowingly”), enabling prosecution without clear causal link between speech and prohibited acts.
- Risk of chilling effect on free speech and dissent.
- Judicial Context: Rajasthan High Court (2024) cautioned against misuse to suppress legitimate dissent; aligns with precedents like Kedar Nath Singh (1962), Balwant Singh (1995), and Javed Ahmad Hazam (2024) which stress a direct nexus between speech and unlawful action.
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