“We decided there was no need to re-introduce Section 66A, but we need to strengthen the Indian Penal Code instead”, said Committee member Dr S Sivakumar, who is also a member of the Law Commission. (Photo: Reuters) “We decided there was no need to re-introduce Section 66A, but we need to strengthen the Indian Penal Code instead”, said Committee member Dr S Sivakumar, who is also a member of the Law Commission. The committee, headed by former Law Secretary and Lok Sabha Secretary General T K Viswanathan, submitted its report to the Union Home Ministry last week. The recommendations cover online hate speech and “re-sending (or re-tweeting/sharing)” of communication and raise questions if it is Section 66A in another form. But it has urged extreme caution while acting on speech to balance competing interests and not thwart freedom of speech generally.

Source: Indian Express October 05, 2017 23:06 UTC