Kolse-Patil dubs new legislation targeting LWE as `public insecurity bill'

Latur, July 12 (PTI) Former Bombay High Court judge Justice B G Kolse-Patil has criticised the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill which seeks to curb the unlawful activities of the Left-Wing extremist outfits, claiming that it restricts basic democratic freedoms.
    It was actually a "public insecurity bill", he said, speaking at an event here on Friday.
    Both houses of the Maharashtra legislature passed the bill over the last two days.

    Kolse-Patil claimed that the bill restricts freedoms such as criticizing religion or raising questions against the government.
     "These are constitutional rights, not privileges," he asserted.


     The former judge also warned against erosion of civil liberties through new laws, and the distortion of history to suit political agendas.

    "There's a deliberate effort going on to stir up controversies about our historical icons, to shackle people with blind faith. We must ask where this society is heading. Each individual must learn to think independently," he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)