The Rajya Sabha on Friday afternoon cleared the contentious the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 or anti-terror law that gives powers to central agencies and states to designate an individual as a terrorist and seize his properties. While Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 24, Rajya Sabha approved it by voice vote on Friday after rejecting an opposition-sponsored motion to send it to Select Committee with 104 votes against it as compared to 85 in its favour. In what turned out to be a phenomenal victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in Rajya Sabha, a resounding 147 MPs voted in favour of the final bill while only 42 polled against it. This is the third successive victory for the Modi government in Rajya Sabha where it lacks a majority.
The previous cases of the government having its way in the Upper House were the RTI Bill and the law criminalising triple talaq. Participating in the debate earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah justified the amendment brought by the government and charged the opposition parties with twisting facts. Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, Shah countered objections put forward by the Congress MPs, saying the grand old party has a long history of misusing laws as he reminded them about the Emergency. On the amendment seeking to designate individuals as terrorists, Shah clarified that no one’s human rights will be violated and four-stage scrutiny will be done. Making a strong case for the amendment bill to be passed in the interest of security, Shah said that it was the need of the hour that the government keeps two steps ahead of the terrorists. “If terrorists take two steps, we must take four. That is the only way we can defeat them.”
The UAPA Bill was taken up by the Rajya Sabha for discussion on Thursday and cleared on Friday, a week after it was passed by the Lok Sabha where the BJP has a brute majority. While the opposition parties said that it could be misused by the government, the government has argued that it will give a big push to the country’s internal security machinery.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh welcomes the Supreme Court's decision to hold the hearing of Ayodhya land case on a day-to-day basis from August 6. We have confidence that the long-pending case will be resolved in a definite period of time and the construction of Ram Mandir will begin soon.
Lok Sabha passes the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The amendments to the UAPA BIll were passed in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Here's what Home Minister Amit Shah had to say during his reply in the Upper House -
Rajya Sabha rejected the opposition-sponsored motion to send the amendment to select committee with 104 votes against it as compared to 85 in favour. The House passed the amendment to the law with 147 votes in favour and 42 against it.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 that seeks to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on July 24. The Rajya Sabha approved it by voice vote on Friday after rejecting an opposition-sponsored motion to send it to select committee.
Rajya Sabha MP Ramdas Athawale, who is anally of the BJP-led NDA, said that there is a need to teach a lesson to people who shout 'Pakistan zindabad' in Kashmir.
A total of 147 MPs voted in favour of the UAPA amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha while 42 against it. Meanwhile, the Chair has adjourned the House till 2:30 PM.
The Rajya Sabha on Friday afternoon cleared the UAPA Amendment Bill which seeks to grant more power to the NIA. The bill now awaites Presidential assent to become a law. Once it becomes a law, the NIA will have power to designate individuals as terrorists.
Amit Shah said that individuals can be declared terrorists if they commit or participate in acts of terrorism, prepare or promote terror. "Terrorism has no religion, terrorists are against humanity; all should support stringent laws against it," he said.
The motion to refer the UAPA Bill to the Select Committee was rejected in the Rajya Sabha. While 84 MPs supported the motion, 104 voted against it. The opposition parties have been demanding from the government to send to bill to the select committee.
Amit Shah said that when the BJP was in opposition, "we supported previous UAPA amendments, be it in 2004, 2008 or 2013 as we believe all should support tough measures against terror. We also believe that terror has no religion, it is against humanity, not against a particular government or individual."
Replying to Digvijaya Singh, Shah said that the Congress MP seems angry and it is natural because he just lost elections. "Digvijaya said 'in 3 cases of NIA no one was punished.' I will tell you why, because earlier in these cases political vendetta was done and attempt was made to link a particular religion to terror," the Union Home Minister said.
Reminding Digvijaya Singh who said that it was the BJP government that compromised on terror, once during release of Rubaiya Saeed and second by letting off Masood Azhar, Amit Shah said, "What happened during emergency? All media was banned, all opposition leaders were jailed. There was no democracy for 19 months, and you are accusing us of misusing laws? Kindly look at your past."
Amit Shah counters Chidambaram's argument that there was no need to designate individuals as terrorists when an outfit is designated as terrorist organisation. Shah said that when an outfit is banned, its members set up another organisation to carry forward their agenda. He said that declaring individuals will help the government in fighting against terrorism.
Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister said that the opposition parties are twisting the facts. He questioned P Chidambaram who opposed the government's amendment to designate individuals as terrorists. Shah said that this act can be used by both the Centre and state.
The UAPA Amendment Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha by MoS Home G Kishan Reddy on Thursday. The discussion on the bill continued till 8 pm on Thursday but division could take place. The discussion on the Bill was resumed on Friday when the House met to transact business. The bill seeks to empower the government to designate individuals as terrorists.
Digvijaya Singh said that the opposition doubts BJP's intent in the matter. "Congress never compromised on terrorism that is why we had brought this law. It is you who compromised on terror, once during release of Rubaiya Saeed and second by letting off Masood Azhar," he said.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh in Rajya Sabha asked the government to send the bill to the select committee. He said, "I support the suggestion to send the UAPA Bill to a select committee. Congress party never compromised with the security of the country."
P Chidambaram said that the changes brought by the Modi government are unconstitutional. "If you see reasons for amendment, it says 'to empower NIA'. In passing you say 'empowers Centre to add or remove an individual's name as a terrorist', this mischief is why we are opposing this amendment, we are not opposing Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," he said.
The UAPA Bill was introduced in the Lower House by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 8 July. The bill seeks to amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, providing special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, and individuals and groups that foster terrorism in India.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019, was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 24. A total of 287 MPs voted for the bill while eight members dissented. The Congress had staged a walk out at the time od division. The Congress was demanding to send the bill to a Standing Committee for review.
Participating in the debate, Congress MP P Chidambaram said that no one can point at his party and say that "you were soft on terrorism". "We bought the laws to fight terrorism. We are not opposing your (BJP) fight against terror, We are opposing the mischevious amendments to the bill," he said.
KTS Tulsi said that he was against the changes in the law. Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, the noted lawyer said, "For several reason, I totally oppose this Bill. It runs a serious risk of being declared unconstitutional".
People Democratic Party (PDP) MP Mir Mohammad Fayaz said that the UAPA bill should be sent to a select committee for further study. The MP said that misuse of such bills affects the Kashmiri people the most.
The opposition parties have criticised the bill, arguing it could be used to target dissent against the government, and infringe on citizens’ civil rights.
The Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment (UAPA) Bill is an anti-terror legislation. The bill seeks to designate an individual as a “terrorist”. The Lok Sabha cleared the bill on July 24, bringing changes to the existing law.
RJD MP Manoj Jha opposed the UAPA Bill in the Upper House. He said, "I have risen to express some of my serious reservations with this proposed amendment in UAPA Bill."
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Rupa Ganguly and other party MPs from West Bengal hold a protest in Parliament over law & order situation in the state.
MPs of Left parties hold protest in Parliament against amendments in labour laws and against 'corporate appeasement'.
On National Medical Commission Bill, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that he met doctors and cleared their misunderstandings over some provisions of bill. "Have explained to them that this bill is in nation's interest&in interest of doctors and patients. Appealed to them to end their protest," he said.
Discussion is currently underway in the Rajya Sabha on the UAPA Bill. The bill was tabled by the Modi government in the House on Thursday, a week after it was passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019, or the UAPA Bill will be taken up by the Rajya Sabha for voting today, a day after it was tabled in the Upper House by MoS Home G Kishan Readdy.