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Hindustan Times: Maha legislative panel receives record 12k objections to Public Security Bill https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/maha-legislative-panel-receives-record-12k-objections-to-public-security-bill-101746298902405.html  The Special Public Security Bill, 2024, faces 12,750 objections, with over 90% opposing it. Critics call it anti-democratic and a threat to dissent...

“We have bifurcated the suggestions and objections into different categories based on the nature of the objections. Over 90% of them object to the law and the objections have been raised, section-wise, with elaborative (sic) reasoning. We have put them under categories as per the nature of the objections raised,” said an official from the state legislature.

Urban Naxal Bogey: Move for Harsher Bill to Curb Civil Rights? https://thewire.in/politics/urban-naxal-bogey-move-for-harsher-bill-to-curb-civil-rights P. Raman   The Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, iis seen as an attempt to test waters....many of its provisions can be misused against activists, protesters and opponents. ..

 For the BJP, “urban Naxal” means almost everything anti-BJP. The term “anti-national” has a limited reach and application but “urban Naxal” can be used to target political parties, intellectuals, atheists, those who criticise patriarchy, feminist groups, trade unions, slum groups, lawyers, farmers’ movements, journalists and those NGOs that are championing the causes of the oppressed classes. It can cover anyone critical of the establishment.

The left-wing extremist groups have over the years felt the need to establish units of intellectuals, students and youth.  In the late 1960s and the 1970s, when the Naxalite movement began taking root in the rural interiors, it also influenced sections of the urban youth. There was violence in Kolkata and in several universities. A parallel media popular among sections of youths and intellectuals emerged in English and the regional languages. Youth musical squads spiritedly sang songs like ‘Amar baadi, tomaar baadi, Maor baadi Naxal baadi (My house, your house, Mao’s house, Naxalbari)’. 

Maharashtra’s Public Security Bill diluted but critics not convinced https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/maharashtras-public-security-bill-diluted-but-critics-not-convinced-101749754939935.html By Surendra P Gangan Jun 13, 2025 a few of its provisions was taken by a joint select committee after more than 12,300 objections were raised by civil society groups and social organisations to the draft legislation..

The 26-member committee, comprising legislators from across political parties, has amended the objective of the bill, to ensure that individuals cannot be prosecuted under the proposed act; only organisations can be booked under its provisions.

The second change in the objective is in the nature of the activity that can fall under the purview of the proposed legislation – the panel has amended its definition from “unlawful activities” to “unlawful leftist or hardline activities”. Ulka Mahajan, state convenor of the Bharat Jodo Andolan, said they will continue to oppose the bill. “We suspect the bill intends to suppress the voice of the people opposing the government. If they say it will act against leftist and hardline organisations, it means it will be used against opposition parties. Who is to stop the government from linking the Bharat Jodo with frontal organisations of Naxals? And what about their own right-wing organisations?