Sitting Supreme Court Judge, Deepak Gupta has slammed the attempts by the Central and State governments to stifle freedom of expression, especially by artists. Lecturing at an event he spoke at an individual capacity and stated that dissent shown against governments does not amount to sedition.

Justice Gupta added, ‘We the people of India’ have promised to secure for all citizens liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship. This is an inherent human right and a part of the basic structure of the constitution. There cannot be any democratic polity where citizens do not have the right to think as they like, express their thoughts, have their own beliefs and faith, and worship in a manner which they feel like.

While quoting a few instances where the laws have been meaning misused Justice Gupta brought Pa. Ranjith's case as an example stating "In another extreme case, a filmmaker in Tamil Nadu has been booked under Sections 153 and 153A IPC for inciting caste enmity because he allegedly made remarks against the Chola dynasty king for being caste oppressive. This Chola dynasty king lived more than a thousand years back."