Friends, family members and Union ministers on Friday hailed the Supreme Court order granting bail to activist Binayak Sen, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition by a Chhatisgarh trial court.
Union ministers P Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid expressed happiness over the court's decision to release Sen, who was convicted and sentenced for helping Naxals set up a network against the State. Law Minister M Veerappa Moily termed it as an "eye opener" for the state government.
"Satyameva Jayete' (truth alone triumphs), my faith in the judicial system has been restored," said Sen's ailing mother Anasuya, 84, in West Bengal's Nadia district, pointing out that the verdict coincided with the Bengali New Year.
Describing her son as "a Gandhian," she said that he "never believed in violence".
Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who argued before the apex court for bail to Sen, said, "I must confess this is one of the cases where I am personally very happy about what has happened in the Supreme Court. It almost establishes a great principle of democracy that everybody has the right to exercise his right to freedom of speech."
"Sen is not involved in any kind of violence nor has he urged anyone to resort to violence," said Jethmalani and added, "Literature is available at everybody's home and I'll tell you there is much more dangerous literature at my house."
"Politicians must understand these things but it is unfortunate that they don't," said Jethmalani, emphasising that mere possession of literature does not make one a Maoist.
Echoing his views, Sen's wife Ilina cited the observation by one of the judges on the bench that mere possession of Gandhian literature does not make one a Gandhian.
"I thank the judges who mentioned that finding works of Gandhiji with someone does not make the person a Gandhian." said Ilina, adding that she felt extremely relieved after the apex court order.
"The judgment by the trial court was unfortunate. I would not say that I had lost faith in the legal system, but it makes you feel tired and out of patience," she said and claimed the charges against her husband were "ridiculous".
Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said, "It is an eye opener. The Chhattishgarh government should have applied its mind objectively and properly without any prejudices. And when the case is in the highest court of the country, it has all the more reason to be more careful."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that his government "respects" the Supreme Court's decision.
"The Supreme Court has only granted him the bail. The pending legal process will continue in the high court at Bilaspur. Whatever the final verdict, we will respect that decision too," the chief minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state said.
Communist Party of India leader D Raja demanded that the state government withdraw the cases "foisted" on Sen. He claimed that a number of his party leaders and cadres were in prison in Chhattisgarh and demanded their immediate release.
Rights activist Swami Agnivesh said the verdict was a comment on the state of affairs in Chhattisgarh.
"The Supreme Court's order is a comment on the state of affairs in Chhattisgarh which have been turned into a joke by its government," he said.
Relieved after the apex court's decision, his family members said they were looking forward to some happier moments after his release from Raipur jail.
"I am very much relieved, very happy. My son has gone through so much. A mother always feels happy when children are around. This is a good New Year gift. I am happy with this verdict. I don't have to write to him anymore, he will now call me," said Sen's mother.
"Our family was shattered, but now we are all very happy. I'm looking forward to going to Chhattisgarh and meeting my father," said his daughter.
Ilina, who was present in the court, said, "I was holding my breath till the honourable court delivered its judgement and granted bail to my husband. The last four months have been very tense. We will have to rush to Raipur to get him out of jail."
Sen, 61, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Chhattisgarh trial court in December on the charges of sedition and helping Naxals set up a network to fight the State, a verdict that had drawn flak from rights organisations and civil society activists.
A bench comprising Justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad passed the order on the petition moved by Sen, challenging the order of the Chhattisgarh high court, which had refused to grant him bail.
