NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict about the sedition case against veteran journalist Vinod Dua, also demanded reform of this”draconian” and”antiquated” sedition legislation.
The apex court on Thursday quashed that a sedition case against Dua because of his alleged remarks from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his own YouTube series this past year, stating a 1962 verdict entitles each journalist to security.
“EGI expresses satisfaction with the Supreme Court’s concerns across the frightful influence that sedition legislation have on social networking and our democracy,” that the Guild said in a statement.
“The Guild requires redesign of those draconian and antiquated legislation which find no room in almost any contemporary liberal democracy,” it stated.
The apex court never only quashed the criminal complaint against Dua, but also underlined the value of protecting journalists in sedition instances, the Guild said.
“While the reference to this prior conclusion of Justice Kedar Nath Singh along with also the requirement to shield journalists from sedition fees is welcome, the way such legislation are employed from law enforcement officials in various areas of the nation, resulting in pre-trial incarceration, demands additional intervention from the apex court,” that the Guild added.