The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was in for a surprise last Friday when the Congress helped it pass the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 (UAPA), in the Rajya Sabha.
However, the decision to support the amendment – which allows the Centre and States to designate individuals as terrorists and seize their property – introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has angered the Congress leaders in Kerala. The House passed the amendment with 147 votes in favour and 42 against it. Congress members had walked out when the Bill came up for voting in Lok Sabha. Kerala leaders felt the party should have walked out in the Rajya Sabha too.
The amendments were perceived as an attempt to target minority communities and those who dissent with the government's views.
The Congress leaders from Kerala have questioned the party's central leadership, fearing backlash from the minority communities.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala has conveyed the displeasure of the state unit and the party-led UDF to Sonia Gandhi, according to sources.
Former state Congress chief M M Hassan was more vocal in his criticism. Expressing concerns over the Bill being misused to target those who oppose ruling BJP and its ideological mentor, the Sangh Parivar, Hassan said the Congress should never have voted in favour of it. He said he has conveyed his protest and angst to senior members in the Congress Working Committee.
“Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will surely misuse it. It will be used against not only against the minorities and Dalits but anyone who opposes the BJP and Sangh Parivar,” he said.
“Celebrities, including filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who wrote a letter to the PM against increasing number of mob lynching could be designated as terrorists under this law,” Hassan said.
He said Amit Shah's promise that it will never be misused cannot be taken at a face value.
Former minister and senior Congress leader K C Joseph termed the party's stand as unfortunate.
“During the discussion, Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal spoke against the amendment. Congress demanded to send the amendment to the Select Committee. Even after that, we shouldn't have voted for the amendment. It will be misused by the government. Chidambaram even said that it (the amendment) will not stand in a court of law. I don't understand why did the party favour it?,” he asked
The party leaders are of the view that the Congress should take a strong stance in Lok Sabha due to the strong presence of the MP s from Kerala, where the Bill was discussed as a sensitive issue.
BJP's trap?
The Congress appears to have supported the bill to protect its image. Sources said leaders feared that BJP would accuse the party of supporting terrorism had it voted against the Bill.
The Kerala leaders, however, felt the party shouldn't have fallen prey to BJP's trap.
The Congress's ally Indian Union Muslim League and rivals CPM and CPI had voted against the Bill.
IUML's P V Abdul Wahab, during the debate in Rajya Sabha, said the Bill would be used to target a particular community.
IUML leader K P A Majeed told Onmanorama that the Congress' move in Rajya Sabha was not proper. “The Congress will suffer for it. The law is going to be used against even their leaders in the future,” he said.
Bypoll worries
The Congress leaders in the state fear that the developments will affect the party's chances in the upcoming Assembly bypolls.
The CPM-led LDF might use Congress support to the Bill as a weapon to attack the Congress during the poll campaign. The Left parties can take a moral high ground as they opposed the Bill in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It can accuse the Congress of siding with the BJP's majoritarianism and sidelining the interests of the religious minorities in the state.
