Latest news with #BharatJodoAndolan
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
MSPSA critics vow to fight the law in courts, on the streets
MUMBAI: The passage of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act (SPSA) in the state legislature has evoked sharp reactions from civil society groups, which say they will challenge the law in the courts and won't hesitate to take their protest to the streets. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in state assembly while passing the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act. The law has also exposed cracks within the opposition, as the bill was supported by opposition parties in the legislative assembly on Thursday but opposed in the legislative council on Friday, even as the ruling parties cleared it in the upper house. Civil society groups and social organisations, which have opposed the law ever since the draft bill was first tabled in the legislature last year, had submitted more than 12,300 objections to the proposed legislation. They say that although the state claims the bill is aimed at curbing 'urban naxals', the preamble is open-ended and does not specify 'urban naxal' and 'unlawful activities'. This empowers the government to take action against any individual they want to silence, they argue. Critics of the bill say they will approach the governor of Maharashtra, to urge him to refrain from notifying the law. 'We will also move court against the act on grounds that it violates Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens,' said Ulka Mahajan, state convenor of the Bharat Jodo Andolan. She said the other four states that had passed the law had done so when there were no stringent provisions in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). 'We will go to the court of the people by holding protests to make everyone aware of the suppression by the government.' Civil society groups also claim that the advisory board under the law would not act independently as it would be appointed by the government. Furthermore, district collectors and the police have been given 'excessive powers' to deal with the properties of organisations targeted by the law, pointing to the misuse of UAPA and other laws in Maharashtra in the Bhima-Koregaon and other cases. Organisations standing firmly against the law are the People's Union for Civil Liberties, Free Speech Collective, Human Rights Defenders Alert, People's Watch, Centre for Promoting Democracy, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Kamgar Ekta Union, and many more. They met leaders from opposition parties on Friday, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, urging them to oppose the MSPSA. The new law also saw a split in the opposition, which staged a walkout when the bill came up for discussion in the state legislative council on Friday, after it was unanimously supported by the opposition in the assembly on Thursday. 'Most of the opposition members in the 25-member joint select committee (JSC) that had reviewed the bill were from the assembly. They did not ensure that all 20 amendments suggested in the original draft in the JSC were incorporated,' said a Sena (UBT) leader, requesting anonymity. NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad, said, 'We were told by the chairman (of the JSC) that all the changes we had proposed would be incorporated, but only three were taken.' Civil society groups had attempted to challenge the draft bill well before its passage. 'After we were denied the opportunity to have our say before the JSC, we met opposition leaders on June 25. It was decided that the opposition would submit a dissent note in the JSC and strongly oppose the bill it when it came up for passage. Nothing of that sort happened in the assembly and hence we urged leaders in the upper house to oppose it,' said a member of the delegation. The only sliver of protest was a walkout staged by the opposition in the legislative council when the bill was passed on Friday. Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said they had submitted a dissent note to the chairperson of the legislative council, Ram Shinde. 'The definition of 'unlawful activities' and 'unlawful organisations' is ambiguous, allowing the government to book anybody who raises their voice against the state. We are not against the bill if it really intends to act against naxals, but the law should be more specific. It is likely to be misused like MISA and TADA,' he said.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maha legislative panel receives record 12k objections to Public Security Bill
MUMBAI: The controversial Special Public Security Bill, 2024, has received an unprecedented 12,750 suggestions and objections, the highest ever in the history of the state legislature. They were sought by a 25-member joint select committee (JSC) comprising members of both houses of the legislature. The panel will deliberate upon the objections and suggestions at a meeting on May 21. The JSC is expected to invite representatives of more than 100 organisations that have flagged the bill as 'anti-democracy' and unconstitutional. More than 90% of the responses oppose the proposed legislation. The bill, tabled in July, after the Lok Sabha elections last year, was later sent to the JSC, which has held two meetings so far. The number of suggestions and objections is the highest-ever for a draft bill in Maharashtra, topping the 700-odd suggestions and objections received by the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment Bill) tabled in 2020 for effective action in crimes against women. The Special Public Security Bill, 2024, gives the state sweeping powers to act against 'urban naxals'. Justifying the bill, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that Naxalism is no longer confined to remote areas and has reached the cities through frontal organisations. The draft legislation has, however, been slammed by civil society, which has pointed to the potential for such a law to be misused by being invoked against individuals voicing dissent against the state. Many have called it a violation of human rights. 'We have bifurcated the suggestions and objections into different categories based on the nature of the objections. Over 90% of them object to the law and the objections have been raised, section-wise, with elaborative (sic) reasoning. We have put them under categories as per the nature of the objections raised,' said an official from the state legislature. According to home department officials, the Mahayuti government hopes to get the bill passed during the monsoon session of the state legislature, starting on June 30. 'Most of the objections are similar to each other. The opposition is because of the misleading information spread about the bill. The JSC will try to weed out these misconceptions during the deliberations,' said the officer. Ulka Mahajan, state convenor of the Bharat Jodo Andolan, said their opposition to the bill continues. 'After a huge response to our protests at 78 locations in 36 districts, there will be a huge march to the Vidhan Bhavan on June 30, the first day of the monsoon session. Organisations are of the opinion that it is not a Public Security Act but a bill drafted by the government to promote suppression and autocratic rule. The bill gives the government exhaustive powers to act against any organisation, for anything, and in fact it is aimed at suppressing dissident voices,' she said.
