​Coerced consent: On sedition

The article discusses the continued use and evolution of sedition law in India, from Section 124A of the IPC to Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). It highlights the Supreme Court's varying stances, including a 2022 stay on new sedition cases and a recent 2026 clarification allowing trials to proceed with the accused's 'consent,' which the author argues could be coerced. The piece criticizes this clarification for potentially undermining free speech, the 'bail is the rule' principle, and creating an unequal justice system where liberty depends on the capacity to litigate, rather than resolving the constitutional validity of the law.