The Eknath Shinde government has tabled the ‘Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024' which aims at curbing Naxalism in the urban areas. The Bill was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state Assembly. Maharashtra becomes yet another state to bring in such a legislation to prevent unlawful activities. Other states to have enacted similar laws include Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
What is the ‘Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024'?
The new Bill will provide various powers to the government and the police to combat the unlawful activities. The Bill says, “any action which constitutes a danger or menace to public order, peace and tranquillity or interferes or tends to interfere with maintenance of public order or interferes or tends to interfere with administration of law or its established institutions and personnel will be considered as unlawful activity”.
Raising concerns over Naxalism, Fadnavis said that it is also prevalent in urban areas through Naxal frontal organisations, besides remote areas.
Punishments in the new Bill
If the Bill is passed, any association with an unlawful organisation will bear an imprisonment of three to seven years along with a fine of Rs 3 to 5 lakh.
What are the legal provisions against Naxalism?
The agencies earlier used sections like 153A (prompting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion race) of the Indian Penal Code, however, after the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on July 1 this year, this charge has been placed under Section 196.
The agencies also make use of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which enables them to get an additional period to file chargesheet while also toughening the procedure of securing bail.
The Maharashtra government has tabled the new Bill stating that the existing laws are “ineffective” and are “inadequate” to curb Naxalism. The Bill gives the government the authority to declare any organisation as unlawful.
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