Legacy of British Raj, Sedition law should have been scrapped long ago: Kamal Nath  

Reaffirming the Congress party’s promise to repeal the sedition law if voted to power at the Centre, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said the Sedition Act was an archaic law dating back to the British Raj and should have been scrapped long ago.

Releasing the Congress manifesto in Hindi in Bhopal on April 3, Kamal Nath said the sedition law was used against our freedom fighters, and should have been done away with a long time ago.

BJP has dubbed Congress' manifesto as “pro-terrorist and pro-separatist” because it promises to review Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA) and do away with sedition law. The manifesto also says the party is open to review the Article 370 if the Constitution which gives special powers to Jammu and Kashmir.

As a rejoinder to the BJP charge, Kamal Nath said, “The BJP should stop speaking about sedition and treason. This politics of jugglery will soon come to an end.”

He said, “Today, people want an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the promises he made five years ago. But instead of answering the people on what he has delivered, he is trying to divert the people’s attention.”

“Modi speaks of Pakistan, sometimes on nationalism, then national security and claims the country is not secure,“ Kamal Nath said. “Did Narendra Modi establish the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force? Did he start National Defence Academy? Was this country not secure before Narendra Modi? And today if the country is not secure, then it is so because of Narendra Modi,” he said.

“Our country’s voters are extremely disillusioned and this diversion tactic of BJP will not succeed,” he added.

Asked about the Congress manifesto stand to continue with Article 370, Nath replied, “Our manifesto has addressed both internal and external security issues. About Article 370, the manifesto wanted to address every major issue of present day. Was the situation in Kashmir better five years ago than today?”

Upholding the ‘Hum Nibhayenge’ manifesto, Kamal Nath described it a historic document, aimed at giving direction to what this country will be in the 2020s.

Talking about the NYAY scheme of giving poor families a grant of Rs 72,000 annually he said no country has ever done this. Congress introduced MNREGA and it stopped migration from rural areas. Now, the party wants to give 150 days of work instead of the previous 100 to the rural poor. “With money in the hands of the poor, purchasing power will increase,” he said.