Sedition law to remain; need it to fight anti-national elements
The sedition law has provision for minimum three-years in jail and a maximum life term, has been invoked numerous times.
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said there was no proposal to scrap the sedition law under the Indian Penal Code.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Upper House that the provision was required “to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements”.
He was responding to a written question by Telangana Rashtra Samiti MP Banda Prakash who had asked if the government was considering to scrap the colonial law.
The Indian Express quoted Rai, “There is no proposal to scrap the provision under the IPC dealing with the offence of sedition. There is a need to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements.”
The sedition law has provision for minimum three-years in jail and a maximum life term, has been invoked numerous times.
The Congress had promised to remove the sedition law 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. The then home Minister Rajnath Singh had said the National Democratic Alliance would work towards strengthening the sedition law which will help in dealing stringently with “anti-national elements”.