Comrade Provash Ghosh, General Secretary, SUCI(C), has issued the following statement on 1 April, 2015 : —
When there is persistent demand from the people for repealing the existing black acts like UAPA, POTA and AFSPA which are glaringly subversive of the basic human rights of the citizens and deny them access to constitutional safeguards and remedies, the BJP-led Gujarat government has come out with a new draconian Act called Gujarat Control of Organized Crime Bill (GUJCOC) which confers unbriddled and autocratic power to the government-police-administration to intercept phone calls of any person, submit confessions before a cop as an admissible evidence in court and extend period of detention without charge upto 180 days. The Act also stipulates that offences under the Act would be non-bailable and provides immunity to the State government from legal action through an ambiguous idea of “good faith.” Though the government talks of using the Act for controlling increasing crime and curbing the activities of organized syndicates of terrorism, the people know from their experience that while the criminals and the terrorists would evade any prosecution with impunity, the Act would be used against political opponents and muzzle the voice of legitimate protest against the ruthless capitalist oppression. And once promulgated in Gujarat, enactment of similar fascist laws in other states as well as at central level would only be a matter of time.
We strongly oppose this most tyrannical Act and call upon all right thinking democratic-minded people not only of Gujarat but of the entire country to rise up in protest and force the government under pressure of powerful united movement to withdraw the Act.
