Left Parties Mobilise Over 50,000 in Maharashtra to Oppose Controversial Public Safety Bill

Mumbai: In a strong display of public dissent, the Left parties in Maharashtra — including the CPI(M), CPI, PWP, CPI(ML), and LNP — mobilised over 50,000 people across multiple districts last week to demand the immediate withdrawal of the controversial Special Public Safety Bill introduced by the BJP-led state government.
Introduced in the previous session of the Maharashtra Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the bill has sparked widespread outrage. Critics have described its provisions as arbitrary and authoritarian, warning that they could prove more draconian than the existing Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in terms of curbing civil liberties and democratic rights. Though the bill has not yet been passed, the state government has invited public feedback, and thousands of objections have already been submitted by citizens, legal experts, and political organisations.

According to a review presented at the CPI(M) state committee meeting held on April 25, the party alone mobilised 35,930 people in protest across 21 districts. The largest mobilisations were recorded in Thane-Palghar (22,100 in 10 centres), followed by Solapur (7,000 in 2 centres), Nashik (5,000 in 7 centres), Ahilyanagar (1,500 in 1 centre), Mumbai (600 in 1 centre), and Pune (480 in 2 centres).
Prominent CPI(M) leaders participated in these statewide demonstrations, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. Those present included Polit Bureau members Dr. Ashok Dhawale and Mariam Dhawale, State Secretary and Central Committee member Dr. Ajit Nawale, Central Committee member and MLA Vinod Nikole, former Central Committee members and ex-MLAs Narasayya Adam and J.P. Gavit, and Dr. Uday Narkar, alongside several members of the state secretariat and state committee.