New Delhi: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday slammed Congress in the Lok Sabha for making laws like Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA] while in power and said: "Let a Congress leader be arrested in this law, only then they will know.
"I blame Congress party for this. They are the main culprits for bringing this law. When they are in power they are bigger than BJP when they lose power they become big brother of Muslims," he said participating in the debate on UAPA amendment bill. Owaisi also attacked the BJP-led government and said that the UAPA Bill violated Articles 14 and 21 and will take over judicial rights.
"This bill violates Articles 14 and 21 and in my view, no one can be called terrorist merely on the basis of the feeling of the government or mere suspicion. I have to be given judgement by the court of law then only I can be called a terrorist. This is social ostracisation. The bill lacks judicial review and I want to know where is parliamentary sovereignty going?," he said.
Apart from Owaisi, TMC MP Mahua Moitra also attacked the Centre and said the UAPA Bill seeks to designate individuals as terrorists without due process. She was also of the view that this Bill also takes away the powers of the State and also called it anti-federal, anti-constitutional and anti-people.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, on July 8. The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things.
Under the Act, the central government may designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it: (i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes terrorism, or (iv) is otherwise involved in terrorism. The Bill additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds.
