On The Day SC Questioned Validity Of Sedition Law, 100 Haryana Farmers Booked Under The Same

Police in Haryana's Sirsa have booked some 100 farmers under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the attack on State Assembly Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa's car on Sunday.

"We have registered an FIR against 100-150 protesters under various provisions of the IPC, including obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty, murderous attempt on an elected representative, damaging public property.

#BREAKING | ATTACK ON DEPUTY SPEAKER'S CAR IN HARYANA

In #Haryana's #Sirsa, #farmers gheraoed Deputy Speaker @RanbirGangwa's vehicle, vandalizing his car and resorting to stone-pelting. Haryana Police dispersed farmers & detained several of them.

Gurpreet Singh Chinna reports! pic.twitter.com/npZ22UtrjY

¡ª Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) July 12, 2021

"Section 124 A (sedition) has also been added in the FIR and further investigations are on," Station House Officer (SHO) Civil Lines police station, Inspector Vikram Singh said.

What FIR says

FIR mentions only two farmer leaders by the name for the incident that took place when a group of farmers carrying black flags had assembled outside Chaudhary Devi Lal University in Sirsa on Sunday, when Gangwa, who is a BJP MLA from Nalwa in Hisar was there to attend an event.

As he was coming out the angry mob targeted Gangwa's car and pelted stones.

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Though Gangwa had escaped unhurt in the incident, the rear windscreen of his SUV was broken as stones were pelted.

Reacting to the incident, Gangwa said on Tuesday that those who pelted stones at his vehicle on Sunday cannot be called farmers.

"They cannot be called farmers. I can say those who attacked looked like addicts...," he said.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi's borders for over seven months in protest against the Centre's three agri laws.

AFP

Not the first such incident

In the past too there have been some incidents where the protesters turned violent and attacked BJP leaders.

Incidentally, this comes on the same day, the Supreme Court questioned the validity of Section 124 A, calling it a colonial law.

"It is a colonial law used by the British to silence Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak. Still, it is necessary after 75 years of independence?" Chief Justice NV Ramana said while expressing concern on sedition law being misused by police against persons who speak against the government.

PTI

The top court pointed out that sedition law is also not immune to misuse by police against persons who speak against the government. "It is like you give a saw to carpenter, he will cut the entire forest. This is the impact of this law", said the Chief Justice.

He further elaborated that police officers even in a village can invoke sedition law, and all these issues are required to be examined. "My concern is the misuse of law. There is no accountability of executing agencies. I will look into it", said the Chief Justice.