The Communist Part of India (CPI) on Friday urged President Pranab Mukherjee to reject the anti-terror bill passed by the Gujarat Assembly. In a statement, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy said the bill was ultra vires and violative of the fundamental rights and civil liberties.
“CPI condemns the move of the Gujarat assembly which on March 31, 2015 passed a stringent anti-terror Bill — Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill 2015. The BJP using its majority in the assembly passed the bill for the fourth time retaining the controversial provisions in the earlier Bills, twice rejected by the President. The BJP Government is in fact making mockery of the office of President and the parliamentary system which does not appreciate overreaching statutes,” said Reddy.
The CPI leader said the “Bill prima facie is ultra vires and is violative” of the fundamental rights. “We feel that giving law enforcement agencies the tools they need to investigate suspicious activities without any real oversight are contrary to constitutional safeguards and seriously jeopardizes the rights of all Indians and the ideals our nation stands for,” said Reddy.