Supreme Court of India, Image credit: PTI
New Delhi: Considering a plea filed by two Telugu channels against sedition charges by the Andhra Pradesh government, the Supreme Court said that it is time to court define sedition.
Directing the Andhra government not to move with the sedition charges, the apex court also asked the government not to take any coercive actions against TV 5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti channels.
"The Andhra Pradesh government's act of filing sedition cases against the channels is muffling channels. It is time the court defines sedition," said a special bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud.
The news channels were allegedly charged for sedition for airing "offensive" comments on YSR Congress rebel MP Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnam Raju.
The news channels went to the Supreme Court saying the Andhra government had attempted to "silence media" by filing sedition charges for reporting news about the pandemic in an "unbiased manner".
Following this, the top court has sought a response from the state government within four weeks on the pleas of the channels which are charged for various offences including the harsh penal offence of sedition.