'There is a Lakshman Rekha that cannot be crossed'; Union Law Minister criticizes as sedition law cases are put on hold

NEW DELHI: Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has indirectly criticised the Supreme Court for putting sedition law cases on hold. "I respect the court and its independence, but there is a Lakshman Rekha that cannot be crossed", said the minister.

"We've made our positions very clear and also informed the court about the intention of our PM. The court must respect the government and the legislature. In return, the government should respect the court. There are definite boundaries in this regard. We have to ensure that we respect the provisions of the Indian Constitution as well as existing laws," said Rijiju.

This morning, the Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment as it puts hold to the sedition law cases. The court had directed that Section 124A, which gives the power to charge sedition should not be applied till further review and neither the Centre nor the states should register a new case.

The court has also directed those who are currently facing sedition charges to approach courts for bail. Earlier, the central government had informed the court that about 13,000 people are detained under sedition charges in the country. However, the centre had taken a stance against it saying that sedition cases could not be frozen.

Meantime, there are around 20 sedition cases in Kerala. Most of them have been charged against Maoists and money launderers.However, the High Court has quashed the sedition charges on various cases, including three such cases against Maoist leader Roopesh.