
The Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the ruling Congress, on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
IUML leader and Member of Parliament E T Muhammed Basheer said the draconian law has shattered the lives of several innocent youths. “The cases in which sections of UAPA have been slapped against the alleged accused should be reviewed. The innocents acquitted by the court should be given adequate compensation,” he said.
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The other day, an additional district sessions court in Karnataka’s Hubli had acquitted 17 persons arrested on charges of their alleged association with Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIMI), among them a few from Kerala.
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In Kerala, the police had recently charged UAPA against suspects in cases of political violence. Besides, the human rights activists and supporters of the ultra-Left ideology too had faced the UAPA when they were arrested for supporting the Maoist movement.
Earlier last week, three activists of the Revolutionary Democratic Front, suspected to be a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist), were arrested while campaigning against the misuse of UAPA.
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