Rajya Sabha resumes discussion on Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill

The Rajya Sabha today resumed discussion on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention), Amendment Bill, 2019 suspending Zero Hour. 

The bill seeks to further amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The bill empowers the Central government to designate individuals as terrorists if the person commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes terrorism or is otherwise involved in terrorism. 

Earlier, the government can only designate organisations, and not individuals, as terrorists. It also empowers the Director-General, National Investigation Agency (NIA) to grant approval of seizure or attachment of property when the case is investigated by the agency.

Participating in the discussion, Elamaram Kareem of CPI(M) criticized the bill saying it gives power to NIA to go to any state according to its will. 

He said people are afraid of this legislation. He accused the government of being afraid of the voice of dissent. Questioning the bill, Manoj Jha of RJD termed it as draconian. P. Wilson of DMK opposed the Bill demanding to send it to Select Committee or Standing



Committee. 

He said the bill is against the principle of natural justice. While Mohammad Fayaz of PDP opposed the Bill,  Vijayasai Reddy of YSR Congress welcomed the Bill. The discussion is underway.

Congress has opposed the UAPA bill saying it is unconstitutional and against individual liberty. 

Participating in the debate, senior party leader P Chidambaram said the bill empowers the Central government to name any individual a terrorist if it believes so. He said the Bill will be struck down by the court. 

The Congress leader questioned the provisions in the bill saying the individual is already covered in the law and there is no need to distinguish between organization and individual on the issue of terrorism.  

Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party also questioned the bill saying it is against the Constitution and federal structure of the country.

MP Swapan Dasgupta supported for the Bill. Shamsher Singh Manhas of BJP also supported the bill saying it is the need of the hour.