NEW DELHI: The central government has asked the Supreme Court not to strike down the sedition law. The Centre informed its position while the Supreme Court was considering the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of IPC 124A.

Attorney General KK Venugopal pointed out that the problem is the misuse of the sedition law. However, the misuse of the law should not lead to the repeal of the law, he said.

Venugopal pointed out that there was a need for guidelines on this section. What is permissible and what is impermissible and what can come under sedition need to be seen, said the Attorney General.

"See what is happening in this country. Yesterday someone was detained under this section against people who recited Hanuman Chalisa. So guidelines have to be there, to prevent misuse," said Attorney General.

Meanwhile, the apex court said that it will first decide the issue of whether the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the offence of sedition under Section 124 A of the IPC should be referred to a constitutional bench or not.

A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justice Suryakant and Justice Hima Kohli said that the Center and the petitioners would be given one hour to argue on May 10 at 2 pm. Both sides have until May 9 to state their position.

The petitioners are Major General SG Vombatkere (Retd), former Union Minister Arun Shourie, Mahua Moitra MP, journalists Anil Chamadia, Patricia Mukhim, Anuradha, PUCL and the Editors' Guild of India.

The court, which sent a notice to the Centre on the petitions last July, had asked whether the law was needed 75 years after independence.