India May Drop Sedition Charges Against Cartoonist

The arrest has prompted big backlash

Facing a mounting backlash from activists and public at large over the arrest of Aseem Trivedi, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said the state home department would consider dropping the sedition charge against the cartoonist. "The home department is looking into the issue and might withdraw the charges against Trivedi," Chavan said at the state guesthouse, Sahyadri.

Home minister RR Patil, however, said he had instructed Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh to look into the violations by the cartoonist and see if charge of sedition was valid.