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A radical of salient governmental and taste figures has urged the UDF authorities to measurement backmost from strengthening the usage of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) successful Kerala, informing that its exertion against governmental activists signals a descent towards “emergency-like repression”.
In a memorandum submitted to the government, signatories including K. Satchidanandan, Sara Joseph, Sebastian Paul, B. Rajeevan, K. Ajitha, Geethanandan, M.N. Karassery, M.N. Ravunni, Anwar Ali and Rafeeq Ahammed expressed beardown interest implicit the renewed invocation of the stringent law.
The delegation met the Home Minister astatine the Secretariat connected Friday and besides held discussions with different members of the UDF Cabinet earlier submitting the memorandum.
The petition criticised the authorities for initiating caller UAPA-linked probe proceedings wrong weeks of assuming office, including successful a conspiracy lawsuit dating backmost to 2012, successful which astir 25 governmental activists person reportedly been named arsenic accused. It besides flagged moves to situation tribunal orders that had earlier dropped UAPA charges successful definite cases.
The taste leaders pointed retired that during the erstwhile LDF government, determination had been increasing nationalist absorption to the law, which led to restraint successful granting anterior authorisation for UAPA cases and a determination not to prosecute appeals successful cases wherever courts had discharged the charges.
In contrast, they alleged, the contiguous government—led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan with Ramesh Chennithala arsenic Home Minister, who utilized to instrumentality a basal against the UAPA —has taken a regressive basal by reviving and expanding the usage of UAPA.
Calling for an contiguous people correction, the memorandum demanded that the authorities retreat from invoking UAPA successful specified cases and usage its powers to reappraisal and cancel existing cases filed nether the Act.
