BACK TO SECTIONS(1997) 7 SCC 431
IPC 1860REPEALED
Section 153B
Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration
Replaced by: BNS 197
Non-BailableCognizable: YesMagistrate First Class
THE STATUTE
Original Text
Whoever makes or publishes any imputation that any class of persons cannot, by reason of their being members of any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community, bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India...
Simplified
Section 153B complements Section 153A by focusing specifically on assertions that undermine the national integration of India — claims that certain groups cannot be loyal citizens, that specific communities are inherently anti-national, or that participation in national institutions is incompatible with a particular religious or cultural identity. Such assertions divide citizens into trustworthy and untrustworthy categories based on identity, which the provision recognises as fundamentally corrosive to national unity. Unlike Section 153A (which requires enmity between two identifiable groups), Section 153B can be triggered by assertions targeting a single group's capacity for national loyalty.
Landmark Precedents
Bilal Ahmed Kaloo v. State of AP (1997)
RELEVANCE
Section 153B requires assertions that specifically damage national integrity — vague commentary about groups is insufficient; a targeted identifiable class is required.
Practical Scenarios
"Claiming that a certain community should be stripped of citizenship because of their religion — Section 153B."
"Publishing material asserting that certain linguistic groups are inherently anti-national — Section 153B."
Common Queries
153A is about enmity between groups; 153B is about assertions that damage the integrity of India as a nation by claiming certain citizens cannot be truly loyal.