Home minister Amit Shah on Friday took a swipe at Digvijaya Singh in the Rajya Sabha saying the Congress leader is angry and it is natural as he just lost the elections.
Shah was responding to Digvijaya Singh’s comment where he said the Congress doubted BJP’s intent on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019.
The Rajya Sabha passed the amendment bill to ban individuals as terrorists.
The home minister said, “In three cases of the NIA, no one was punished and I will tell you why. Because earlier in these cases political vendetta was done and attempt was made to link a particular religion to terror.”
Earlier, Digvijaya Singh had said, “We doubt their (BJP) intent. Congress never compromised on terrorism and that is why we had brought this law. It is you who compromised on terror, once during release of Rubaiya Saeed and second time by letting off Masood Azhar.”
Digvijaya also pointed out three terror cases – Ajmer, Mecca and Samjhauta in which the accused were declared not guilty after the prosecution stated pressure from superiors.
Shah during the debate in Rajya Sabha justified the amendment seeking to declare individuals as terrorists, noting they create new organisations once banned.
Rejecting objections raised by Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram regarding amendments in the UAPA Bill, Shah said, ” Chidambaram ji asked why to name an individual as a terrorist when the organisation they are affiliated to is already banned. It is because we ban one organisation, another one comes up by the same individuals. Till when will we keep banning organisations?”
The Congress-led opposition had been demanding the bill be sent to a select committee for further discussion, as in the current form it could be stuck down by the court.
As the Rajya Sabha passed the bill, the government can now designate individuals as terrorists if the person commits or participates, promotes or involved in acts of terrorism. Earlier, the government could only designate organisations, and not individuals, as terrorists.