Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Goodbye, Section 66A” (March 25). The Supreme Court has struck a right note for the freedom of speech and expression. It has to be remembered that Section 66A was brought into being when the use of the Internet, especially that of social media, was beginning to pick up. The then UPA Government knew Section 66A was a poorly drafted provision of the IT Act. But it did precious little to make amends because it stood to benefit from the vaguely worded provision. A number of innocent people, including students and whistleblowers, were hounded by the authorities.
The apex court has correctly said that it is impossible to have uniform definitions of the sentences used in the Section. The court’s fine-balancing of Section 66A with Article 19(2) of the Constitution demonstrates an astute mastery of law.