Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday defended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, saying it was essential to keep law enforcement agencies one step ahead of terrorists.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha after a division with 287 members supporting the bill and eight opposing it.
Responding to a debate on a bill which amends the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in Lok Sabha, he also asserted that there are enough safeguards to ensure that the act is not misused and would only be used to root out terrorism.
He also said that provision in UAPA (amendment) Bill to designate a person suspected to have terror links as terrorist is necessary to root out terror.
Hitting out at the Congress for opposing the amendment, he said if the UPA was correct in amending anti-terror laws in their tenure, then so is the NDA.
“When you question us, you don't see who brought the law and amendments, who made it stringent. It was brought when you were in power, what you did then was right and what I am doing now is also right,” he added.
He said, in the name of ideology, some people promote urban Maoism and the government has no sensitivity towards them.
The government fights terrorism and it should not matter which party is in power, Shah said, referring to amendments made in anti-terror laws by successive governments.
Shah also stressed on the need for a provision to declare an individual as a terrorist.
"There's a need for a provision to declare an individual as a terrorist, UN has a procedure for it, US has it, Pakistan has it, China has it, Israel has it, European Union has it, everyone has done it," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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