Kerala Police Act will not be implemented, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Amid widespread criticism over the Kerala government’s move to amend the law to mandate a jail term for any “offensive” social media post, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced that the legislation is now scrapped.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Saturday approved an ordinance promulgated by the LDF government in the state for punishing the “making, expressing, publishing or disseminating” of any “matters” which could be constructed “threatening, abusive, humiliating or defamatory”.

Any person who creates or sends any information that is offensive or is intended to offend or threaten another person, through any means of communication, is liable to face imprisonment of five years or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both.

It was feared that the amendment could have a chilling effect on free speech giving more power to the police and restricting freedom of the press.