Didn’t author Sec 66 of IT Act: Sibal

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 5

Days after the Supreme Court struck down Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act to protect freedom of expression, former Communications and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, accused of pushing the said law in the previous Congress regime, today said he never authored the controversial provision.

Sibal took on the BJP Government for adopting “double standards” on the issue asking why it didn’t repeal the said section if it considered the same as draconian.

Sibal also cited a series of recent events at the Smriti Irani-led HRD Ministry, including the way IIT directors are being appointed, to ask the BJP Government if it was here to dilute or to protect institutional and personal freedoms.

“The truth is … Section 66A was authored by my predecessors, not me”, Sibal said in a blog today defending himself against taunts from social media enthusiasts following the apex court’s move to scrap Section 66 A that gave police the powers to arrest people for making highly offensive statements.

While still batting for the now scrapped law, Sibal said he received its elimination with mixed feelings - happiness, as it cannot be misused by the powerful and trepidation as the lack of it will help criminals. Having said that, Sibal in his blog, “Censorship and Intent vs Freedom of Expression”, reproduced statements the BJP Government made to the court in defence of Section 66A.

On the issue of freedom of expression, former HRD Minister attacked the BJP Government saying the HRD Minister was attacking academic autonomy and the Centre was diluting the right to information by not appointing a Chief Information Commissioner since seven months.

“There is disquiet about several developments in the HRD…the way appointments are sought to be made to the post of Director in IITs and concerns have been expressed by Dr Anil Kakodkar; the way Delhi University Vice Chancellor is being hounded; the way Dina Nath Batra, an RSS ideologue, is seeking to influence school curriculum…,” Sibal said taking on Smriti.

He also questioned the appointment of former editor of the Panchajanya (a right wing magazine) Baldev Sharma as chairman of the National Book Trust; and the inclusion in the Indian Council of Historical Research of two office-bearers of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana; of a former Professor, who unsuccessfully contested the 2014 elections on a BJP ticket.