No proposal to scrap sedition law, says MoS Home Nityanand Rai in Rajya Sabha

The Colonial Era sedition law, under which inciting hatred against the government is a punishable offence, deals with anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements.

NEW DELHI: Rejecting demands from several opposition parties, including Congress, the Centre on Wednesday said that there is no plan to scrap the sedition law as of now.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) Home Nityanand Rai said, '' There is no proposal to scrap the provision under the IPC dealing with the offence of sedition.''

Rai told the lawmakers in the Upper House that there is no proposal as yet to scrap the Colonial-era sedition law under which inciting hatred against the government is a punishable offence.

"There is no proposal to scrap the provision under the Indian Penal Code dealing with the offence of sedition,'' the Minister said, adding that ''there is a need to retain the provision to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements."

Rai made these remarks while responding to a question raised by Telangana MP Banda Prakash. 

The sedition law states that whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government shall be jailed without or with fine. 

Former Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is now handling the Defence portfolio, had at several occasions in past called for the need to make the sedition law stronger to deal with "anti-national` elements.