Government Will Take "Informed" Decision On Sedition Law After Consultations: Minister

The government will take an "informed and reasoned" decision on the Law Commission report on sedition after holding consultations with all stakeholders, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Friday and noted that recommendations in the document were "persuasive" but not "binding".

Mr Meghwal's remarks came in the wake of the recommendation by the law commission to increase the minimum jail term in sedition cases from the present three years to seven years.

"The law commission report on Sedition is one of the steps in the extensive consultative process. The recommendations made in the report are persuasive and not binding," Meghwal said on Twitter.

He said the final decision on the matter will be taken only after consulting all the stakeholders.

"Now that we have received the report, we will also hold consultations with all the other stakeholders so that we take an informed and reasoned decision in the public interest," Meghwal said.

In its report, the Law Commission has recommended enhancing the jail term in sedition cases from a minimum of three years to seven years, contending that it would allow courts greater room to award punishment in accordance with the scale and gravity of the act committed.

The view evoked a strong reaction from the Congress, which accused the BJP government of planning to make it more "draconian" and giving a message ahead of the general elections that it will be used against opposition leaders.