Maya govt to repeal crime control bill

5 Sep 2008 The Times of India

LUCKNOW: Almost three days after the Union home minister for state Shri Prakash Jaiswal ruled out possibilities of giving a nod to Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Bill (UPCOCB), chief minister Mayawati took a decision to repeal the controversial bill on Thursday.

After having been passed by the state Assembly on February 13, 2008, the bill has been awaiting presidential assent.

"We have been able to curb crimes without the special act. Therefore it is hardly required," Mayawati declared at a press conference on Thursday. She, however, demanded to know that "how a law, which is considered perfectly valid in Maharashtra, could be trashed as draconian and useless in UP?"

"This only shows duplicity in the Congress party’s character," the CM said, adding that MCOCA must also be scrapped going by the same logic.

"Maharashtra, which has been ruled mostly by the Congress governments all along, has not been able to eliminate crime despite MCOCA," she said.

Targeting the lawlessness during Mulayamraj, the CM said that she had inherited a troubled legacy. "Loot, murder, decoity, kidnapping were order of the day during that time and criminal elements enjoyed protection by police and administration. The prevailing lawlessness and corruption during the SP rule, she said, posed a tough challenge and to bring the situation under the control "we decided to formulate UPCOCB", she explained

However the Congress, which had supported a similar legislation in Maharashtra all along, protested when such a decision was taken, the CM said. The party, she said, needed to do some introspection and learn to follow what they preach. The duplicity shown by the Congress party over this particular issue, Mayawati said, was deplorable and needed to be condemned. The UPCOCB had been awaiting assent from the president for past six months after having been passed by the assembly. Questioned by the media about the delay, Jaiswal had said that the Centre was not in favour of giving unbridled power to state and its police. "We have said no to Gujarat and will say the same to UP," he had declared.

With thanks from The Times of India
Source:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Maya_govt_to_repeal_crime_control_bill/articleshow/3446436.cms

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