“Time To Set Limits Of Sedition”: Supreme Court Relief To Telugu Channels

The Andhra Pradesh government should not take any coercive steps against Telugu news channels TV 5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti, the Supreme Court said.

'Time To Set Limits Of Sedition': Supreme Court Relief To Telugu Channels

The Supreme Court granted bail to Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnam Raju on May 21.



New Delhi:

The Supreme Court today put on hold Andhra Pradesh’s action against two TV channels and said, “It’s time we define limits of sedition.”

The Andhra Pradesh government should not take any coercive steps against Telugu news channels TV 5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti, the Supreme Court said.

“The Andhra Pradesh government’s act of filing sedition cases against the channels is muffling channels. It is time the court defines sedition,” said Justice DY Chandrachud.

The channels were charged in an FIR with sedition allegedly for airing the comments of a rebel MP of Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress, Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnam Raju. Mr Raju had been very critical of his own government’s handling of Covid.

The news channels went to the Supreme Court saying the Andhra government had violated a recent court order that restrained governments from punishing citizens for flagging Covid-related grievances.

TV5 also said Mr Raju’s speeches were broadcast by several media outlets.

The MP, Mr Raju, was arrested on May 14, weeks after he asked a CBI special court to cancel the bail granted to his party founder, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a disproportionate assets case.

The Supreme Court granted bail to him on May 21, saying there was a possibility he was “ill-treated in custody”.

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