The Hindu : LS passes POTO Bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2002

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LS passes POTO Bill

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The Lok Sabha tonight passed the controversial anti-terrorist legislation described as ``draconian'' by the Opposition, which walked out calling it a ``dark day'' in history even as the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, gave an assurance that the law would not be misused.

The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002 seeking to replace an ordinance, was passed with 261 members supporting and 137 against in a division pressed by the Opposition.

Earlier, the House rejected by voice vote an Opposition-sponsored statutory resolution disapproving of the ordinance promulgated in October last.

Significantly, the nine-member Trinamool Congress, a key NDA constituent, stayed away from the House opposing the measure. Likewise, members belonging to Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party abstained.

The DMK, which was not enthusiastic about the Bill, and its rival, AIADMK, voted in support.

No misuse: Advani

In his brief reply, Mr. Advani sought to allay fears that the Bill would be misused against political opponents or be used the way defunct TADA Act was invoked against farmers in Gujarat.

As the Deputy Speaker, P.M. Sayeed was about to announce the result of the division, the CPI(M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, said it would be a ``dark day'' in the annals of Parliament and the country was going to face another onslaught on the rights of people.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, and her party members also joined in the walkout.

The Bill, which provides for stringent provisions to deal with terrorism will now go to the Rajya Sabha where the ruling combine lacks majority.

The ruling combine has already talked of a joint session of Parliament to get the measure approved if it is defeated in the Upper House. _ PTI

Our Special Correspondent reports:

The NDA Government suffered another embarrassment today with the Trinamool Congress abstaining from voting on the Bill. The Trinamool decision came after a meeting of its parliamentary party this afternoon. The party decided to stay away from the voting because of its reservations on the controversial measure. ``We have consistently opposed such measures, we opposed TADA and we believe POTO will almost certainly be misused,'' said the Trinamool chief, Mamata Banerjee.

Krishna Bose, Trinamool MP, told The Hindu that her party's decision was in line with the position it had adopted on the issue from the very beginning. ``We were never in its favour but since we are in the NDA and cannot vote against the Government we have decided to abstain''.

We will not give up: Cong.

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The Congress today said the Opposition was determined to defeat the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance Bill even if the Government decided to convene a joint sitting of Parliament to get it passed.

``The Opposition is uncompromising. We will try and defeat the Bill in the Upper House. In case it went to a joint sitting, we will again try to defeat it,'' the party spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, told reporters here.

Asked what the party strategy would be in case the Government got the Bill passed at the joint sitting, he said, ``We will keep a strict vigil to check its misuse.'' _ PTI

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