The Legislative Assembly passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, on Thursday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while tabling the Bill, explained the necessity of the proposed law and stated that the state has 64 radical organisations, the highest in the country, and none of them have been banned in the absence of effective rules.

Fadnavis, who heads the home department, mentioned that documents recovered during investigations revealed areas such as Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Konkan, Gadchiroli, Amravati, and Beed were becoming safe havens and hotbeds for extremists. “As active Maoism is coming to an end, those who indulge in such activities are shifting to passive operations. These activities are taking place due to the absence of stringent rules,” the CM said, urging members of the Assembly to unanimously approve the introduced Bill.

Four other states, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana, have already put the Act in place. Maharashtra would be the fifth state to impose the stringent law to prevent unlawful activities and maintain public order. Fadnavis stated that the idea was not to suppress the voice of the Opposition or those whose views differ from those of the government. “The Bill is to curb the extreme activities [of those] who do not believe in the country’s constitution and democracy. I assure the members of the Assembly that this law will not be misused,” Fadnavis added.