THE Maharashtra state committee of the CPI(M), in a statement issued on July 12, has strongly condemned the Mahayuti government of Maharashtra for introducing the ‘Janasuraksha Bill, 2024’ in the state assembly and demands its immediate withdrawal.

Trampling upon citizens' democratic rights of protesting against anti-people policies and decisions of a government, the ruling BJP-led alliance has, by introducing this bill towards the fag end of the current assembly session, exhibited its arrogance born out of panic. It has been introduced bypassing the democratic rights of elected MLAs to discuss threadbare a legislation which is certain to have a deep impact on the democratic processes of governance. The bill purportedly aims at containing the so-called menace of ‘urban Naxals’. 

It is a travesty of governance that the government avoids open debate on a supposedly very serious issue for the security of the state. It is beyond doubt that the state government is deliberately creating a red herring in order to divert popular attention. Not something, but everything is rotten in the state of Maharashtra today under BJP-controlled rule.

In actual fact, the state government, raising the so-called ‘urban Naxal’ bogey, is preparing to suppress all opposition in the run up to the forthcoming assembly elections. The existing laws are more than adequate to effectively deal with any violent acts and deeds based on any political ideology.  Who killed Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Comrade Govind Pansare, Dr M M Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh, all terrorist political acts, is not a secret any more. Those who perpetrated these dastardly killings have been identified as the followers of the Sanatan Sanstha and court proceedings are on against some of them. The Maharashtra government, in the guise of this bill, is deliberately pointing towards the diametrically opposite direction.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the voters of India have dealt a resounding slap on the face of the notorious triumvirate of Modi-Shah-Yogi for their naked display of authoritarian and dictatorial rule. The same panic has gripped their junior versions in the state – Fadnavis-Shinde-Ajit Pawar – who face a similar outcome in the forthcoming state assembly elections.

It is well-known that Devendra Fadnavis, then chief minister and home minister, acted as a hitman for Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in arresting under UAPA on false charges, innocent individuals in the Bhima Koregaon case. Several reputed intellectuals and human rights activists have been in jail under the draconian UAPA, from three to five years now, without trial. Although some of them are out on bail after an inordinate delay, some others are still languishing in the state’s prisons. Unfortunately, 84-year old Stan Swamy was made to breathe his last in the jail without a trial. The BJP and RSS do not seem to be satisfied even after this sordid episode. It is at their behest that the infamous trio of Maharashtra is cynically pursuing the heinous act of destroying many more innocent lives.     

The present ruling dispensation in the state is in the last throes of its immoral and corrupt existence, especially after the humiliating drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha election. The people of Maharashtra taught them a lesson for making devilish misuse of the central agencies like the ED, CBI and IT departments. They are again eager to deliver a much more lethal blow to these shameless destroyers of the soul of Maharashtra; the very thought of which has unnerved the Mahayuti government, making it take recourse to a patently dictatorial step as this one.

The CPI(M) sincerely appeals to the people of Maharashtra to oppose this draconian measure and resist it tooth and nail. It also calls upon all democratic forces and especially the constituent parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi to strongly oppose this dictatorial move and run an effective campaign against it all over the state. The people will wholeheartedly support such a campaign.