New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed sedition charges against journalist Vinod Dua and said that every journalist is entitled to protection under the Kedar Nath Singh judgment that ruled “dissent is not sedition”.
Pronouncing the verdict by a bench led by Justice U.U. Lalit, the apex court said, “Every journalist is entitled to protection under Kedar Nath Singh Judgement.”
The Kedar Nath judgment upheld the constitutional validity of sedition law in India, which was delivered in 1962.
Dua also sought the formation of a committee to verify the allegations made against journalists with experience of 10 years or more, prior to lodging FIRs against them.
The court rejected Dua’s appeal observing that this would be an encroachment into the legislature and that the plea seeking non-registration of FIRs against media persons cannot be entertained.
Reportedly, after an FIR was lodged by a local BJP leader in Himachal Pradesh over Dua’s statements against PM Narendra Modi in his YouTube show.
Following this, Dua had contended that charges against him were politically motivated and in violation of his fundamental right of free speech.
