"India’s Top Court Suspends Colonial-Era Sedition Law", 11 May 2022

India’s top court directed the government on Wednesday to suspend a colonial-era sedition law that critics say has been abused for decades to shut down dissent. Immediately, hundreds of people jailed under the law became eligible for bail, which is rarely given in sedition cases, and the police were prevented from bringing any new sedition charges... The ruling on Wednesday does not overturn India’s sedition law. That is something that only Parliament has the power to do... The language of India’s sedition law is intentionally vague, legal experts say. It can be wielded against anyone who “brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite dissatisfaction” toward the government... Since Mr. Modi came to power in 2014, activists say it has become a commonplace tool for the government and its allies to stifle dissent...