• NET Web Desk

Assam has topped the list among Indian states, registering cases filed under the category of ‘offences against the state’, which includes sedition allegations; according to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The revelation of the NCRB data has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition and legal experts, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government is utilizing strict legal requirements to “silence the voice of dissent” with the aid of a “police raj”.

According to the NCRB report, Assam registered altogether 35 cases of ‘offences against the state’ against 36 individuals in 2021.

The NCRB has classified five sections of the Indian Penal Code under the “offences against the state” segment. These incorporates of – 124A (sedition), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 122 (collecting arms to wage war) and 123 (concealing to facilitate design to wage war).

The Supreme Court had suspended the IPC’s Section 124A penal code in May 2022.

In 2021, the northeastern state of Assam has registered three sedition cases against three persons, while it lodged 32 FIRs under the other four IPC sections and named 33 persons.

Assam is followed by Andhra Pradesh with 30 cases of ‘offences against the state’, Jammu and Kashmir with 13 cases and Manipur with 10 cases. The numbers of such cases registered by the rest of the states and union territories are in single digits.

Responding to the NCRB statistics, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) – Debabrata Saikia noted that there are numerous instances in the state, where sedition cases have been slapped for trivial offences.

Saikia, a senior Congress leader, claimed that the conviction rate of such cases is very low in the state though it has filed the highest number of cases.

“This is really unfortunate that Assam Police is being used for political reasons. Even the DGP occasionally makes some unacceptable comments, which are not within the law. It is because they have political patronage,” he said.