Mumbai: Left Parties, Activists To Hold Azad Maidan Rally Against Maharashtra Public Safety Bill On First Day Of Monsoon Session

As the state is planning to table the Maharashtra Public Safety Bill 2024 in the monsoon session of the assembly, activists, civil society organisations and left political parties have decided to come together to oppose the bill. Activists will mark their protest against the bill through a massive public rally at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on the first day of the session.

Since the Maharashtra government published the first draft of the public security bill last year, various activists and left-leaning civil society organisations have come out to mark a strong protest against it. Accusing the bill to be unconstitutional and anti-democratic, various organisations came together to establish an ‘Anti-Public Safety Bill Committee’ to oppose the bill and had organised state-wide protests at 78 locations across 36 districts to demand the withdrawal and cancellation of this bill. 

On Thursday, the revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced that the bill will be tabled at the assembly's monsoon session. At a press conference on Friday, the committee announced to carry out a huge march at Azad Maidan on June 30, the first day of the monsoon session. While the minister had mentioned that the bill’s final draft includes close to 13,000 suggestions from people, the committee alleged that none of the people who filed their suggestions were consulted by the joint committee of the legislature.

Ulka Mahajan, state coordinator of Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, said, “The historic number of objections shows that people don’t want this bill to be implemented. However, the joint committee has not called any of these people for consultations. This shows that the Mahayuti government is afraid that the state’s atmosphere is against their rule. While the bill is named public security, it will be providing security only to the regime.”

The committee claimed that the bill is unnecessary as the present laws have all the powers required to curb naxalism as well as terrorism. Advocate Mihir Desai said, “The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) can be imposed on unlawful organisations and naxalism and the state government has Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) to control organised crimes. The new Bharatiya Nyay Samhita has enough powers to act against gang wars,” adding that the public security bill does not need amendments but to be scrapped in its entirety.

The committee alleged that the bill is aimed at curtailing freedom of speech, fundamental rights and curb the voices speaking against the government. “We have been called ‘aandolan jeevi’ by the prime minister and now the state is trying to restrict us from hitting the streets to protest. If this is implemented, it will be a huge setback for democracy,” said Comrade Subhash Lande, state secretary of Communist Party of India.