100 farmers face sedition case

Chandigarh : Police in Haryana have charged over 100 farmers with sedition after they allegedly attacked and damaged the official vehicle of Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa during a protest against members of the state's ruling BJP-Jannayak Janata Party alliance and the controversial new farm laws.

The incident took place in Haryana's Sirsa district on July 11. The FIR was filed on the same day.

Apart from sedition, the FIR also charges farmers with 'attempt to murder'. Two leaders of the farmers' movement - Harcharan Singh and Prahlad Singh - were among those named in the FIR.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (one of the protesting groups) slammed the charges, calling them "false, frivolous and cooked up" and vowing to contest them in court.

"Farmer leaders Harcharan Singh and Prahlad Singh and around 100 farmers have been booked under false cases... with grave charge of sedition... merely because they were protesting against Haryana Deputy Speaker in Sirsa," the statement said.

Several Opposition leaders and civil society activists hailed the Supreme Court for asking the Centre whether the sedition law was still needed 75 years after Independence and expressed the hope that it would be "thrown out".

Reacting to the Supreme Court terming the sedition law colonial and asking whether it was still needed 75 years after Independence, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "We welcome this observation by the Supreme Court."

Some leaders, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav, pointed out that about 100 farmers in Haryana were charged with sedition, among other charges, in connection with an attack on the state deputy speaker's car during a farmers' protest.

Moitra said she was finally hoping "this archaic law misused by GoI will be thrown out". "Ironic that Haryana police charge over 100 farmers with sedition after alleged attack on BJP leader's vehicle while SC questions why we have this outdated law!" the Lok Sabha MP said on Twitter.

Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, "Kudos to the SC & the CJI for standing up to the Govt on the gross misuse of this colonial law of sedition to silence dissent." According to Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, the British used the sedition law to silence Mahatma Gandhi and the BJP is "using it to kill principles of transparency and accountability espoused by Mahatma Gandhi".

In a tweet, he said, "28% rise per year in registration of sedition cases since 2014 -- well thought strategy to kill freedom of speech!" Actor and Shiv Sena leader Urmila Matondkar said, "'Do we still need it after 75 years of Independence?' Honorable #SupremeCourt has referred to #Sedition law as 'Colonial'."

Filmmaker and former MP Pritish Nandy also reacted to the Supreme Court asking the Centre whether the sedition law was needed and said, "Good point, Supreme Court. Gone hoarse saying this." He added that we want to remove all traces of British rule but won't give up this terrible law under which our freedom fighters were jailed.