By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 29 March 2015: The move of Gujarat state government of Bharatiya Janata Party to bring a new law to combat terrorism has been opposed. The government is going to introduce in the Assembly the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill, which will replace the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime (GUJCOC) Bill.
Even though the last bill was returned by two earlier presidents of India citing some controversial provisions, the new bill is said to be carrying the same provisions. The bill was returned twice by APJ Abdul Kalam and once by Prathibha Patil, then Presidents for the controversial provisions to telephone interception and confession made before police officer admissible as evidence in court. Welfare Party of India said the new bill is “worse than POTA and TADA.”
“The provisions in the Bill empowering police to intercept calls and wire communications and to admit them as evidence in court are a breach of the privacy right of the citizen and of his fundamental right. Stringent anticipatory bail provisions make it near impossible,” said Welfare Party in a statement.
“It is an irony that the Gujarat government move comes at a time when the Supreme Court of India struck down 66-A of the IT Act terming it violation of the fundamental right of the citizen,” said the party and demanded all political parties, human rights organisations and civil society groups “to raise their voice against the move of the BJP to introduce draconian law in the state.”
