Gujarat Congress MLAs to urge Prez not to clear state’s Anti-terror bill
October 02, 2015
New Delhi
Two dozen Congress MLAs from Gujarat led by Shankarsinh Vaghela will meet President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow to urge him not to give assent to anti-terror bill passed by the Gujarat assembly.
The bill passed in Gujarat Assembly was recently cleared by the Union Home Ministry and sent to the President with a recommendation to approve it.
The GCTOC Bill of 2015 was passed by the Gujarat Assembly in March this year after Congress staged a walk out opposing it. Congress had said the provisions objected to by the previous Presidents had not been adhered to.
The Bill was earlier named as Gujarat Control of Organised Crime (GUJCOC) which was on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
It was rejected in 2004 and 2008 by the then President AJP Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil respectively who had suggested some amendments in the provisions related to telephone interception and confession made before police officer being considered as evidence in court.
After its passage for the third time in the state assembly, the bill is still pending for clearance from the President. It lapsed automatically after the new Assembly passed the a new Bill on the same subject.
It was earlier rejected following reservations over the clause of accepting electronically intercepted messages as evidence and admissibility of a statement before the police official as a confession statement.
In July, the Modi government at the Centre had sent back the controversial Bill to the state government asking it to clarify on certain issues raised by the Ministry of Information and Technology (IT).
The IT Ministry has objected to the provision in the Bill which allows authorisation of interception of telephone conversations and their admissibility as evidence before a court of law.
The Gujarat government had strongly rebutted the objections raised by the Ministry of IT. In its reply, the Gujarat government cited the subjects mentioned in the ‘concurrent list’ under which the Centre and the state share the responsibility of formulating ‘criminal law’ and criminal procedure’.
The Central government has given its consent to the provision of extensions of time limit for filing of charge sheet from 90 days to 180 days after consultation with other Central ministries.
PTI
Related Stories
'GCTOC bill won't override Central laws on phone interception'
Centre seeks clarification from Gujarat govt on GCTOC Bill
Congress asks President not to give nod to Gujarat anti-terror law
GCTOC bill: Gujarat Congress delegation to meet the President
Gujarat Congress requests Governor to disapprove GujCoTOC
Gujarat Assembly passes 'Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill'
Gujarat govt to introduce revised GUJCOC Bill
Recent Stories
- Surat Cyber Crime Cell busts international racket with links to 866 crimes, 200+ FIRs
- New Rules for RMC General Board Meetings in Rajkot get approval from Gujarat Govt
- Dr. Prashant Vazirani nabbed in connection with patient deaths at Khyati Hospital
- 58 lakh people impacted with our CSR initiatives in Gujarat: HDFC Bank
- Reliance, Disney announce completion of transaction to form joint venture; Nita Ambani to be chairperson
- DGP Vikas Sahay calls father of MICA student killed by cop in Bopal road rage incident
- Severed calf head found in Umargam; locals demand action