NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019, intended to allow designation of an individual, wanted for terror-related crimes, as "terrorist" amid strong protests and a walkout by opposition parties like Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress.
The Lok Sabha witnessed a vote yet again as it did over the introduction of the triple talak and the NIA(amendment) bills after the opposition parties had walked out.
The bill, with its amendments to give more bite to anti-terror provisions was passed 287 votes to eight.
The political debate was sharp and home minister Amit Shah responded to the opposition's charge that the law could be misused, saying the only purpose was to root out terrorism. He took a pot shot at the opposition parties that walked out, saying they were doing so due to vote bank considerations.
Asserting that the idea is to nip terrorism in the bud, he said the government will ensure that the law will not be misused. He also brought "urban Maoists" within the ambit of the proposed law, saying "Some people supported urban Maoism in the name of ideology. We have no sympathy for them".
Some opposition parties like Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress walked out in protest against the introduction of UAPA amendment bill in the Lok Sabha. However, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav supported the passage of the bill.
BJD too supported the bill, increasing the chances of its passage in the Rajya Sabha where the government can also count on a large AIADMK contingent. Raising concerns over the amendment, opposition members said the provisions were against the federal structure of the country and prone to misuse.
Mahua Moitra of Trinamool said when NIA itself is under a cloud, there is apprehension of the agency being misused for political vendetta. “Features of the bill are anti-people and anti-Constitution...it is a very dangerous Act,” she said. She also said, “One runs a risk of being branded as anti-national if you oppose the government. Every time the opposition disagrees with national security, we are called anti-national by the propaganda machinery and troll army of the government.”
NCP’s Supriya Sule said when amendments to the National Counter Terrorism Centre and National Intelligence Grid were made, the then chief minister (Narendra Modi) of Gujarat had “opposed” the bills. Ahead of the bill’s passage, Congress, TMC and DMK members walked out, saying the proposed legislation should have first been scrutinised by a parliamentary standing committee.
“What can we do if you are boycotting proceedings as you are angry over votebank,” Shah said as MPs were going out. The bill was, however, passed after division of votes, demanded by AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi.