So, like, there’s this whole big thing happening in Mumbai with this Special Public Security Bill, 2024, right? And get this, it’s causing quite a stir because it’s facing a whopping 12,750 objections. Can you believe that? Over 90% of the objections are totally against it, calling it anti-democratic and a threat to dissent. Crazy, right?
The bill has stirred up so much controversy that it’s gotten the most objections ever in the history of the state legislature. A 25-member joint select committee (JSC) made up of members from both houses of the legislature asked for these objections and suggestions. They’re gonna chat about all of this at a meeting on May 21.
And get this, the JSC is planning to bring in representatives from like, over 100 organizations that are all up in arms about this bill being “anti-democracy” and unconstitutional. It’s like a whole big showdown between the government and civil society. The bill was put on the table after the Lok Sabha elections last year and has been through two meetings already. It’s like a never-ending drama with this bill.
The number of suggestions and objections for this bill has surpassed any other draft bill in Maharashtra. The previous record holder was the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment Bill) from 2020, which only got around 700 suggestions and objections. This new bill, though, is a whole different beast.
The Special Public Security Bill, 2024, is all about giving the state major powers to deal with “urban naxals.” The chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, is all about it, saying Naxalism isn’t just out in the boonies anymore, it’s right here in the cities. But civil society is like, nah, this bill is gonna be abused and used against anyone who dares to speak out against the government. Human rights violation alert!
The objections have been broken down into categories, with over 90% of them being totally against the bill. People are not happy about this, not one bit. But the home department officials are like, “Eh, most of the objections are just repeating the same old stuff. It’s all just a big misunderstanding.” Yeah, sure, buddy.
Ulka Mahajan, state convenor of the Bharat Jodo Andolan, is leading the charge against this bill. She’s all fired up and ready to go, organizing protests all over the place. There’s gonna be a massive march to the Vidhan Bhavan on June 30, the first day of the monsoon session. The opposition is strong, and they’re not backing down.
So yeah, that’s the scoop on the Special Public Security Bill, 2024. It’s a total mess, with objections flying left and right. Will it get passed during the monsoon session? Who knows. But one thing’s for sure, this bill is causing a whole lot of drama in Mumbai.
