Need for debate on law of sedition: Binayak Sen

Human rights activist Binayak Sen, who was convicted for sedition and recently granted bail by the Supreme Court, has underlined the need to have a public debate on contours of the controversial law.

"A Chhattisgarh court sentenced me to life imprisonment on the charge that I had committed sedition but this was not very clearly defined in our law," Binayak Sen told PTI on phone from his Raipur-based residence.

The 61-year-old who spent four months in jail, said that even Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily had proposed a need for a debate on the law of sedition. Sen said life as an undertrial was hard as living conditions in the jail were poor and food of inferior quality.

"I missed my home food a lot while I was in jail," he said. I know I have been granted bail but the case against me is still going on and I have to fight it with all the means at my disposal, Sen said.

The human rights activist said that he was glad that the Supreme Court has said there was no evidence of sedition against him.

Sen said that an award by the government of South Korea for human rights work was a recognition to his work, which he said was never acknowledged by the Chhattisgarh government.

Sen, a child specialist by training, said he was thankful for the support he received from people including Home Minister, P Chidambaran and Congress general secretary, Digvijay Singh.

Expressing concern over the plight of the undertrials in jails on charges of sedition, he said that the SC judgement in his case could be of some help to them.