Sedition law to stay, no plans to scrap it: Centre

The Union government has no plans to repeal sedition law as it is needed to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told Rajya Sabha Wednesday.

The minister made the statement in reply to a written question by TRS MP Banda Prakash who had asked if the government was mulling to scrap sedition law "which is a colonial-era law applicable on free citizens of the Republic".

"There is no proposal to scrap the provision under the IPC dealing with the offence of sedition. There is a need to retain the provision to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements," said Rai.

The Congress, in its manifesto released before the Lok Sabha polls, had promised to remove the law on sedition from the statute, if voted to power.

"Omit Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (that defines the offence of 'sedition') that has been misused and, in any event, has become redundant because of subsequent laws," the manifesto had said.

The BJP had criticised the Congress for making the promise.