Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), seeking an extension of ‘The Gujarat Prevention of Anti-social Activities Act, 1985’ to the national capital.

The Delhi Police is expected to get more stringent powers of preventive detention, with the L-G approving the proposal submitted by the Delhi Home Department.

According to officials from L-G House, the Home Department submitted the proposal to Saxena on June 26. The Law Department has vetted the draft notification, officials were quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

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Officials said the move comes after the Delhi Police wrote to the L-G asking for a stricter law to rein in snatchers and drug peddlers.

Earlier in March this year, VK Saxena approved the Home Department’s proposal that Delhi Police should effectively use the National Security Act of 1980 whose purpose is “to provide for preventive detention in certain cases and for matters connected therewith”, ANI reported.

Delhi has seen several cases of snatching and armed daylight robbery over the past few days, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government attacking the L-G over the law and order situation under the latter’s jurisdiction.

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What is Gujarat PASA?

The Gujarat Prevention of Anti-social Activities Act (PASA), 1985, provides for preventive detention of bootleggers, dangerous persons, drug offenders, immoral traffic offenders and property grabbers for preventing their dangerous activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.

The Act, after being notified, will provide the Delhi Police with more teeth to deal with criminals and at the same time ensure effective deterrence against crimes, such as chain-snatching, bootlegging, drug peddling and trafficking, the L-G’s House stated.

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“It may be noted that an identical law from Telangana was also examined and it was found that the Gujarat law is more reasonable and better,” it added.