Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said he was upset about the Supreme Court’s decision to put the sedition law in abeyance, India Today reported. Rijiju said that the court took the decision even after the government said that it was making changes to the law.
“When we [government] have already stated that we are taking a review [of sedition law] and that we will come back with better provisions, despite that if the pronouncement comes from the court, definitely it is not a good thing,” Rijiju told India Today in an interview.
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with sedition, states that whoever “brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India” can be held to have committed the offence of sedition.
On May 11, the Supreme Court had put the sedition law in abeyance and requested state governments and the Centre to not file any new cases under the rule till it is re-examined.
At the time, the Centre had told the court that it will re-examine the sedition law and had urged the judges not to take up the matter till it does so.
After the verdict, Rijiju had said that while the government respects the court and its independence, there is a “laxman rekha”, or boundary, that must be respected by all organs of the state.
On Friday, Rijiju reiterated that the judiciary should not enter into the space of the executive.
“If the judiciary starts deciding where the roads should be built if it gets into the service rules, what is the government for?” he questioned. “Do I ever get involved with the judiciary’s work? I don’t. I assist the judiciary to make it a robust institution.”
The law minister also reiterated that he was not satisfied with the collegium system of appointing judges, and claimed that many judges agree with him, according to India Today.
“They [judges] decide the names on the basis of their understanding of a particular judge,” Rijiju told the television channel. “They also talk to the consultee judges who recommend names.”
He added: “A consultee judge will recommend only those whom he knows. They will not recommend someone they don’t know even if the person is qualified and fit enough to be a judge of the Supreme Court or High Court.”
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