UPA ready to revisit terror laws

POTA-shy UPA ready to revisit terror law state governments concerns

The POTA-shy United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has said that it was open to further amendments to the National Investigating Agency Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to address concerns raised by some state governments.

Falling short of reviving the controversy-ridden Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) promulgated by the NDA government, the ruling UPA governmentu00a0in search of effective laws to handle acts of terrorismu00a0effected amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and created the National Investigating Agency (NIA) Act. Both the laws have already got Presidential assent.

Home Minister

P Chidambaram has written to the chief ministers and lieutenant governors of states and Union Territories that the Centre was ready to make changes in anti-terror laws in the coming session of the Parliament.

"If it becomes necessary to make any changes to these laws, we could always revisit the provisions and introduce changes in the next session of Parliament," Chidambaram said in a letter, he wrote three days ago.
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On January 6, at the Chief Ministers' Conference on internal security, some CMs had expressed concerns on the scope, extent and application of the NIA Bill, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill and the CrPC Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament in the last session.

"If you have any questions or doubts I shall be happy to answer or clarify them," Chidambaram wrote.

Some NDA-ruled states had expressed reservations that the NIA would "disturb" the federal setup of the country. They had suggested that the NIA should be essentially limited to terrorism and not extended to other types of offences.

Some chief ministers had also expressed resentment that they had not been consulted by the Centre before the new anti-terror laws were framed and said there were many "loopholes" in them.

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