Mumbai (Maharashtra), March 25: The Maharashtra State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has strongly condemned the state government’s “Special Jana Suraksha Bill” (Special Public Safety Bill), calling it an anti-democratic move aimed at suppressing dissent. The party has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the controversial legislation, which they claim grants extensive powers to even low-ranking police officers to quash organised resistance to government policies.
In a press statement, the CPI(M) accused the BJP-led Maharashtra government, under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, of hiding its real objective of stifling democratic voices under the guise of tackling “Urban Naxals.” The Bill, according to the CPI(M), is not intended to address security concerns but to target voices of democratic resistance.
“The purported objective of the Bill, as stated by CM Fadnavis, is to tackle ‘Urban Naxals.’ However, the actual intent is to suppress organised democratic resistance,” the CPI(M) said in the statement.
Given the ruling alliance’s significant majority in the state legislature, the CPI(M) expressed concern over the likelihood of the Bill’s passage, which would give authorities sweeping powers to suppress dissent. If enacted, it would grant even low-ranking police officers the authority to take draconian measures against any perceived opposition.
The CPI(M) highlighted the growing hardships faced by the people of Maharashtra due to policies enacted by the BJP-led state and central governments, pointing to issues such as low farm produce prices, inadequate crop insurance, insufficient MGNREGA work, land rights concerns, and caste-based oppression.
The party also criticized the Bill’s vague provisions, which would allow the government to unilaterally declare any act or organisation as “illegal,” imposing severe penalties such as imprisonment and hefty fines. According to the CPI(M), these provisions threaten to dismantle labour and civil society organisations.
In response, the CPI(M) pledged to resist the Bill, vowing to mobilise mass support and build alliances with other left-wing and democratic groups to counter the government’s “neo-fascist” agenda.