Speakers at an anti-GUJCOC rally organised here on Saturday asked the central government not to accept the demand of Chief Minister Narendra Modi for passing the GUJCOC (Gujarat Control of Organised Crime) Bill, 2003, maintaining that it was a draconian piece of legislation.
Addressing the gathering at Sardar Baug, leading advocate Mahesh Bhatt said unrestricted power could not be given to police as senior police officials, including IPS officers such as D G Vanzara and Dinesh M N, had been allegedly found misusing powers for staging false encounters.
Quoting an Allahabad High Court judgement of Justice Anand Narayan Mulla, Bhatt described police as the “biggest organised gang of criminals” and said unrestrained power given to them would not be in the interest of society. GUJCOC Bill, which contained provisions empowering police without any restrictions, should not be passed by the Centre, he demanded.
“Crime and terrorism can never be controlled by the law. Despite the existence of POTA, the attack on Parliament did take place in New Delhi. Similarly, Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar was attacked. POTA could not stop such attacks,” said Bhatt.
Representative of Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) and advocate Mukul Sinha said Modi’s justification for asking for GUJCOC Bill in relation to the trial of the accused of July 26 serial blasts was hollow and misleading since even if the President gave assent to the Bill, then too the law would not be applicable to the July 26 blast incident because no criminal law could be enforced retrospectively.
Others who spoke on the occasion included activist Ibrahim Sheikh, Iqbal Mirza, Anmrish Patel and Shamsuddin Peerzada.
Organisations that took part in the demonstrations included Jan Sangharsh Manch, New Socialist Movement, Jamaat-e-Islami, Aman Samuday, Jamaat-e-Ulema, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Samiti, Aman Samuday and Ahmedabad Muslim Women Association.