Maharashtra hub of 'urban Maoist' activities: Government on Special Public Security Act
The law specifies four offences for which an individual can be punished: having membership of an unlawful organisation; a non-member raising funds for such an organisation, assisting in its management or committing an unlawful activity.
The Maharashtra government has introduced the Special Public Security Act (MSPSA) to combat a surge in urban Maoist activities, according to a statement submitted to the Bombay High Court. The legislation aims to provide a strong legal framework to prevent and address unlawful, subversive, and extremist activities, citing the presence of 64 active frontal organizations in the state, the highest number in the country.
The MSPSA, passed by the State Assembly in July and approved by President Droupadi Murmu in December, outlines four offenses that can result in punishment, including membership of an unlawful organization, aiding its management, or committing unlawful activities. The law also allows the state government to label any suspected organization as "unlawful."
However, the Congress, the Communist Party of India, and some social activists have challenged the constitutional validity of the MSPSA, alleging that it grants the executive "wide-ranging, arbitrary and excessive powers" to ban organizations and seize their properties based on vague and broad definitions.
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