Mumbai- In a press statement, State Secretary Uzair Ahmed SIO Maharashtra South Zone strongly condemned and opposed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly on July 12 despite widespread opposition from civil society groups.

The bill grants the executive unchecked powers to brand organizations as 'unlawful' without fair process, criminalizes routine dissent, and enables property seizure and financial ruin through non-judicial mechanisms. The bill's provisions still remain vague, broad and open to misuse by authorities. This threatens to undermine democracy, civil liberties, and fundamental rights, and lay the groundwork for an ideologically driven crackdown on opposition groups, activists, and social movements.

Further, the Joint Committee constituted to review the bill has utterly failed in its duty by functioning in an opaque manner. It did not conduct a single public hearing or grant personal hearings to numerous individuals and civil society organizations despite inviting written objections from them. This callous attitude shows that the entire process was a sham and was never intended for democratic deliberation.

"We strongly oppose this bill, believing it will disproportionately impact marginalized communities and undermine democratic rights. There is no need for another draconian law as the existing laws like UAPA, MCOCA and BNS are comprehensive enough to deal with the security challenges that the state faces. We demand its immediate repeal and stand in solidarity with those fighting against this draconian legislation", the statement read.