Bhubaneswar:
Strongly opposing the Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2013, in its present form, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the Centre not to move it hastily and have wider consultations with the states.
"I would, therefore, strongly urge upon you not to move the proposed Bill in the winter session of Parliament. At best, the issue should be opened for wide debate and consultation instead of pushing a hastily incubated Bill on such a matter of grave national importance," Mr Patnaik said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Such a serious matter of national importance like communal violence should not be a subject of political marketing, particularly when elections were around the corner, Mr Patnaik said.
Stating that he had earlier in December 2011 written to the Union Home Minister, Mr Patnaik expressed concern over the proposed Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011, which has now been modified with certain changes.
Though the new draft bill contained some modifications, Mr Patnaik said that most of the concerns conveyed earlier have still not been addressed.
"Barring cosmetic changes, changes of nomenclature and re-numbering of provisions, the import of the earlier Bill still remains substantially the same in the present draft Bill," he said.
Clause 3(f) which defines 'hostile environment' included in Sub-section (v) 'any other act, whether or not it amounts to an offence under this Act, that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment', would leave the definition of crime, wide open to liberal interpretation and misuse, he said.
Similar was the situation with Section-6 regarding 'hate propaganda', Mr Patnaik said, adding that the proviso was perfunctory.