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The ordinance, which is difficult to legally enforce, was brought in view of the forthcoming elections
Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has termed the ordinance introduced by the Left government to curb cyber-abuses as a violation of media freedom and a blatant violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution. He said the government would be able to silence the media and individuals who express and express different political views through this law.
Subsection 118 (a) of the Police Act has been amended to provide for imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for defaming individuals through social media. This is a department where the police can file cases voluntarily even if there are no complainants.
How can the police decide that a news story, picture or comment is suicidal and defamatory? That is,
This is an amendment to the law with a lot of ambiguity. According to the ordinance, cases can be filed against opposition leaders who hold press conferences against the government. So the ordinance is a threat that no one should criticize the misdeeds of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government and if criticized, they could be sent to jail. The ordinance, which is difficult to legally enforce, was brought in anticipation of the forthcoming elections.
Section 66A of the IT Act 2000 and Section 118D of the Kerala Police Act 2011 were repealed by the Supreme Court in September 2015 on the ground that it was against freedom of expression and fundamental rights. The then Supreme Court Justices, Justice J., and others, ruled that the Constitution considered the right to freedom of expression and opinion to be sacred. Chalameswar and Justice Rohington Nariman.
The CPM was one of the first parties to welcome the verdict. But now the government, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, a member of the CPM politburo, has enacted a media magic law that has far more deadly consequences than Act 66A, which was repealed by the Supreme Court. Chennithala said that if Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to stop the media and the free thinking community from being intimidated, it will not be worth it.