Opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the central government of branding the government a "traitor" if they speak out against the government.
However, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday did not consider it as "treasonous" to oppose the government. The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday said, "It is not treasonous to hold an anti-government opinion or to oppose the government."
The observation was made by the Supreme Court during the hearing of a petition against former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah. Rajat Sharma and Neh Srivastava had filed a petition against Farooq in the Supreme Court.
They claimed that Farooq had sought the help of China and Pakistan against the Indian government for repealing Article 370 of the Constitution and revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. They also criticized Srinagar MP Farooq's remarks against the central government over the repeal of Article 370.
Calling Farooq anti-national, the petitioners said, "If Farooq's parliamentary membership is not taken away, it will be tantamount to encouraging the activities of traitors like him in India." Which is detrimental to the unity of the country. However, the Supreme Court has rejected the claim of the petitioners.
The court said the petitioners had failed to establish their claim against Farooq. The Supreme Court on Wednesday fined the petitioners Tk 50,000 in the case. In August 2019, the Modi government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution and revoked the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
At the same time, the state was divided into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Since then, the central government has placed several politicians, including Farooq, under house arrest. However, 83-year-old Farooq has always been against the decision of the central government.
He also demanded that the state's dignity be restored as soon as house arrest is lifted. He has recently been re-arrested.
