Bengaluru: Association for Protection of Civil Right, a forum consisting mainly of lawyers and other civil activists more commonly referred as APCR, came down heavily against the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and urged activists and lawyers across the nation to raise their voice to get it abolished. The point was made during legal awareness workshop in Bengaluru. The former Chief Justice of India Mr. M.N. Venkatachaliah was also present at the workshop in which APCR members from different backgrounds had participated.
The ex- CJI Mr. M.N. Venkatachalia spoke on the occasion and said that having spent his whole life as a lawyer and later as a judge, his eyes were opened to the human rights situation of the country only when he became the chairman of the Human Rights Commission. The former CJI also said that in his period as chairman of HRC, 73% of the total arrests carried out were unwanted whereas 44% of the jail budget was spent on arrests and detentions that were not needed in first place.
Why need UAPA special act when RPC and IPC were enough to punish the killers of Mahatma Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi?
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kunal Ambista, Assistant Professor at the Bangalore National Law College raised a strong pitch against the UAPA and asked why a special act was needed when the RPC and IPC acts were enough to punish terrorists who killed father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi? "First Congress brought TADA, then BJP came up with POTA after which Congress introduced UAPA which is being used to harass innocents. TADA and POTA have been done away with but there are scores of people who are in jail because of those draconian acts." he said. Innocent people who are apprehended through such acts are jailed for years, they lose their whole lives, their youth because of such unjust laws. In many cases, the accused agreed to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit just to come out of jail in a few years, because if they had tried to fight the charges legally, they would had to spend around 20 to 25 years in jail just proving their innocence. "We need to come out against such draconian acts by challenging them in courts, protesting against them in the streets, in seminars, in workshops and through every lawful way. We expose how these acts are being used to exploit innocents, especially Muslims today." He concluded. He urged people to raise their voice against unlawful arrests and said that people are getting arrested right and centre. If today the citizens do not raise their voice against atrocities, tomorrow it will be their turn to get arrested.
The workshop also included a special question period wherein the audience were given a chance to ask questions about various laws. APCR general secretary Advocate Niyaz Ahmed delivered the introductory remarks and introduced the guests apart from shedding light on APCR's activities. APCR's national president Yousuf Machalla presided over the program. Apart from the former CJI Mr. M.N. Venkatachalia, also present on the stage were Rajhya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain, Secretary of Jamate Islami Hind - Karnataka Mohammed Yousuf Kunhi, former public prosecutor of the high court Advocate BT Venkatesh and other dignitaries. APCR Chittardurga president and former Deputy superintendent of police Syed Ishaque acted as the master of ceremonies while advocate Mahmood Qazi, Executive member, APCR Karnataka, delivered the vote of thanks.