People’s Movement demands repeal of UAPA

Hyderabad, Feb 25 : The People’s Movement Against UAPA on Tuesday opposed the amendments made to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Addressing a press conference here, Movement’s Convener Kamal Farooqui described the amendments to UAPA as a serious blow to the basic tenets of fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution. “Many a youth hailing from Muslim, Sikh, Dalit and Adivasi communities are languishing in different jails in India under UAPA. The former repressive laws like TADA and POTA were withdrawn when people protested against the severe and drastic misuse of the law and human rights activists and social activists demanded their repeal,” he said.

Kamal Farooqui reminded that Narasimha Rao Government allowed TADA to lapse and UPA Government withdrew POTA as the alliance had promised before the General Election. “Unfortunately amendments to UAPA in 2008 and 2012 have annulled such efforts and today we have the most draconian general law in force and that too without a sunset clause usually coming with special security legislations,” he alleged.

Stating that the object of amendments to UAPA was to combat terrorism, he alleged that the law was targeted against people involved in raising legitimate protest and democratic resistance. “Most people put in jail under the act are poor Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis,” he pointed out.

Demanding repeal of UAPA, Kamal Farooqui said that the People’s Conference Against UAPA would organize a protest meeting in New Delhi on March 5 to highlight the demands including treating accused as innocent till proved guilty in court of law; No accused individual should be kept indefinitely in jail; Bail is the rule and jail is an exception; Release under- trial prisoners on bail; Prevent illegal arrests and provide compensation to victims.

He said that the Amendments made to UAPA in 2004, 2008 and 2012 contain provisions that mirror earlier counterterrorism legislation. The previous governments had allowed those laws to lapse, or repealed them, because they had led to serious human rights violations, he alleged.  INN