President returns West Bengal Goonda Bill; State to review
President Droupadi Murmu has returned for reconsideration the much-touted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, more popularly known as the ‘anti-Goonda’ Bill. The Bill was returned for amendment after objections were raised regarding certain conflicting provisions, particularly the definition of the term Goonda as it has been mentioned in the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (PITNDPS Act), sources said.
Opining that certain provisions may “therefore, create an overlapping or parallel preventive detention mechanism in respect of drug related activities” making it repugnant under Article 254, the central Government in its note said, “Section (B) of the proposed Bill, insofar as it includes within the definition of ‘goonda’ a person who commits, attempts to commit, abets, promotes, finances or facilitates any offence punishable under the NDPS Act, 1985, may overlap with the preventive-detention framework provided under the PITNDPS Act, 1988, which is a specific Central legislation dealing with preventive detention of persons engaged in illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.”
Soon after assuming power, the new BJP Government in the month of June had enacted the Prevention of drafted and sent it for Presidential assent, prompting the opposition outfits, including the Left and the Trinamool Congress, to call it a “Bill of vendetta” passed to suppress the opposition voices, leading Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to allay public fear, saying the Bill had been brought not as a tool of oppression but to measure to counter anti-social activities to ensure a peaceful social life.
