A CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: One activist, Payi Gyadi, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Gauhati High Court, Itanagar permanent bench, appealing to repeal the contentious Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014 (APUAPA). Subsequently, the court issued a notice to the state government seeking a response to the PIL.
Addressing the media at the press club on Friday, Gyadi claimed that the state government has been misusing the law to suppress the voices of the public. The law is draconian in nature, illegal, unconstitutional, and arbitrary. Moreover, the law also violates Article 22 of the Indian Constitution.
He said the recent detention of the public for raising voices against the state government over the APPSC cash-for-job scam was an eye-opener for the entire state about how the law can be misused and is harmful to the activists voicing their opposition to the prevailing corruption in the state.
He rather questioned the state government for not implementing the law in past years when there were a series of bandh calls in the state, which subsequently led to the vandalization of shopping malls, damaging the vehicles, and thereby disrupting the peace and tranquility in the state.
“There are various CRPCs that could have been used to normalize the matter rather than detain the protesters under the APUAPA. The act entirely curtails the rights of the public by not allowing the hiring of a lawyer, making no provision for bail, extending the detention period, etc. The use of the act by the district administration seems intentional and also to create a fear psychosis,” he said. Also, it was a grave mistake by the district administration to keep the detainees with the regular convicts in the district jail, he added.
Gyadi said that the PIL was filed in the interest of the public and had no personal or political intention. The public has every right to question the state government over any kind of irregularity or corrupt activity. And to suppress voices through such a law is unacceptable in a democratic country. He also informed that the PIL was filed in court on June 7, 2023, with 13 points substantiating his claims to repeal the APUAPA.
“The APUAPA law is acting as a shield for the state government and the people involved in corruption. There is no benefit for the public, and thus it should be repealed,” he said, adding that though bandh calling is illegal, it is the last resort for any organization if the state government is too deaf and dumb to respond to the genuine public voices.
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