MVA delegation meets Maharashtra Governor, urges him not to sign Special Public Security Bill

A delegation of Maha Vikas Aghadi met Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan on Friday (July 18, 2025) and requested him to decline permission to the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill against extremist left wing organisations.

The delegation submitted a memorandum printed on the letterhead of Maharashtra Legislative Council chairperson Ambadas Danve, requesting the Governor to send the Bill against to the government for reconsideration.

There is anger against the Bill among the people, the memorandum stated. It has been signed by several leaders of Congress, NCP SP and Shiv Sena UBT. Interestingly, some of the signatories are members of the joint committee of the legislature which had cleared the Bill without any dissent note.

This comes three days after left wing organisations and civil society members had approached the Maharashtra Governor with a similar request.

“The bill is draconian in nature. The definitions are ambiguous, at best. And there is fear that it will be misused to silence the opposition and peaceful protestors, particularly farmers and students,” Ulka Mahajan, a civil society activist, told The Hindu.

The Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill was passed by the lower House on July 10 amid express opposition by the lone Communist Party of India MLA. The next day, on July 11, it was tabled in the Maharashtra Legislative Council where Congress and Shiv Sena UBT opposed the Bill vociferously. The Bill was passed by a voice vote by majority in both the Houses.