Legislative Council passes Maharashtra Public Security Bill; Opposition stages walkout

The Legislative Council on Friday (July 11, 2025) passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill by majority even as the Opposition staged a walkout and later handed over an eight-page dissent note to the Chairperson of the Legislative Council expressing opposition to the Bill.

This was a day after the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Bill without any dissent. Except the Communist Party of India, no other party had opposed the Bill, neither had they given a dissent note as part of the joint committee that had scrutinised the Bill before it was tabled during the Monsoon Session.

The Bill will impose punishments ranging from two to seven years in prison for members of unlawful organisations. Offences under it will be cognisable and non-bailable in nature, and grant the government the authority to seize and forfeit funds belonging to such groups.

On Friday (July 11, 2025), the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress demanded that the Bill be sent back to the Joint Committee and a public meeting be held to address the objections raised against it.

The discussion took place after the Bill “to provide for effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of Left Wing Extremist Organisations or similar organisations” was tabled in the Legislative Council by Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam.

Speaking against it, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) raised objections over the need for the piece of legislation when laws like UAPA, MCOCA and PMLA existed.

The Congress also asked why the law was needed at a time when the Union Home Minister had said that Naxalism was coming to an end.

“This is a political Bill, so we oppose it. We have sent a dissent note against it. You are bringing the Bill because of the anger against the Left parties for not voting for you. If you want to bring it, say it is against Naxalism, Maoism, and we will accept it. We are patriots. Will you leave the Right wing terrorists who were responsible for Pahalgam? You cannot discriminate between the Right and the Left. Tell me one provision which is under UAPA, and which is not available in this. You have no provision, no reason to bring this Bill. This Bill smells of political vendetta,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab.

“Is this Public Security Bill or BJP Security Bill?” said Mr. Parab.

Congress MLA Abhijeet Vanjari said, “Amit Shah had said that 72% Naxalism is over, which means the current laws have provisions to deal with it. Then have you brought this Bill to suppress the political opponents?”

Dissent note

“The original structure of the Bill is repressive, ambiguous and prone to misuse,” stated the dissent note against the Bill submitted by the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders.

“The government did not take cognizance of the concerns raised by the MVA leaders in the Joint Committee. The concerns were about the ambiguous and broad definition of illegal acts, the unlimited power to arrest and forfeit properties, the exclusion of district courts, the lack of independent monitoring over the advisory committee and the broad rights for surveillance and financial seizure without the due procedure of law. The government also did not take into consideration the 9500 objections seeking the scrapping of the Bill. It did not give any hearing to the persons and organisations which had raised objections to the Bill. There was no public hearing,” it stated.