Himachal Pradesh High Court says ‘Talking Peace is Not Sedition’

The Himachal Pradesh High Court (HPHC) has observed that ‘a desire to end the hostilities between India and Pakistan, and a return to peace, cannot amount to sedition’. Taking this position, the HPHC granted bail to Abhishek Singh Bhardwaj who was accused of posting images and videos online depicting weapons and the flag of Pakistan. Justice Rakesh Kainthla looked at Abhishek's chat history with a person named Niaz Khan. In the chats, the petitioner had stated that Operation Sindoor—the brief armed conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025—was wrong and that he supported Khalistan. Noting that both of them criticized the hostilities between India and Pakistan, the court said that they advocated that all people, irrespective of their religion, should stay together, and that war serves no fruitful purpose. The judge said, 'It is difficult to see how a desire to end the hostilities and a return to peace can amount to sedition’. In another case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) ruled that if Panjab was facing a financial crisis, the state could have curtailed unnecessary expenditure on announcements and wasteful schemes, instead of imposing cuts on retired employees. The assertion came as a Bench said that the circular dated 29 Jul 2003 hiking the pension commutation discount rate from 4.75% to 8%, would not apply to the petitioners who are former government employees. In yet another case seeking regularization of daily wage workers, the PHHC has directed Panjab to regularize the workers in accordance with the regularization policy that was in force when they first became eligible in 1996. The PHHC also issued notice seeking a complete overhaul of the Chandigarh Football Association for alleged non-compliance with a landmark Supreme Court of India judgment on 19 Sep 2025. The SCI judgment mandates transparency, accountability, limited tenures for office-bearers, and participation of players in sports administration. Meanwhile, on 9 Jan, the Panjab Cabinet gave its nod to a comprehensive policy under which private institutions can establish fully digital universities in the state. Panjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, 'The policy aligns with University Grants Commission Regulations, 2020, and introduces state-level standards for quality, accessibility, digital infrastructure, data governance, and learner protection' (earlier coverage).