Shiv Sena-UBT Leader Bhaskar Jadhav Alleges Dissent Note Was Overlooked As Public Safety Act Clears Assembly

Mumbai: A dissent note with point-to-point objections on the Public Safety Act, presented to the chairman of the joint selection committee, was not taken into consideration, said Bhaskar Jadhav, the group leader of Shiv Sena UBT in the state assembly.

Bill Passed

The government announced that the state Assembly unanimously passed the bill last Thursday. However, CPI-M’s Vinod Nikole voted against it, and now, Jadhav says his points were not considered while tabling the committee report on Wednesday, nor were the points considered while approving the bill. Opposition members in the assembly were criticised for staying silent during the bill’s passage, while their counterparts in the state council staged a walkout in protest against its provisions.

“In a 4-page letter submitted to revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who headed the joint select committee, I raised various objections to certain provisions that were against the Constitutional provisions,” Jadhav told the FPJ on Monday. Sub-section 2 (f) is against Section 19 of the Constitution of India, which provides the right to speak and expression as the new act bars any action, including speech, writings, messages or art.

Critics also argue that Sub-section 2(d) vaguely defines “organisation,” undermining the constitutional right under Article 19(1)(c) to form associations or groups. He also objected to Sub-section 2 (g), 3 (I and II) that allows the government to define illegal organisation and illegal act. Similarly, five other sub-sections, according to Jadhav, were against the basic principles of the rights of the citizens as well as the organisations.

“The bill was draconian and gave unfair treatment to the citizens,” Jadhav said. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has announced agitation against the act. Harshwardhan Sapkal, the state unit chief, said copies of the bill will be burned symbolically in every district in the state.