Muslims falling victim to UAPA misuse: AIMIM chief

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP-elect Asaduddin Owaisi said the Modi 3.0 government had not learnt from its setbacks in the recent Lok Sabha elections and was acting in the same old fashion, as many innocent Muslims were falling victim to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In his social media account `X’, Owaisi said the UAPA was under debate even today as many innocents are put behind bar under the `inhuman Act’. Stan Swamy, an 85-year-old activist, fell victim to this Act, Owaisi said.

Stan Swamy, or Stanislaus Lourduswamy, a Catholic priest and tribal rights activist, was the oldest person to be accused under the UAPA. The activist, a Parkinson’s patient, was arrested in the Bhima Koregan case and for alleged links with Maoists in October 2020, and died just ahead of his bail hearing in July 2021.

The Act, brought in by the Congress government in 2008, was made tougher in 2012. Stating that he had opposed the law in those days, Owaisi said the BJP government had add new provisions in 2019 and made it more stringent.

He pointed out that the Congress, which was in the Opposition, had extended full support to the amendments of the new law. The Modi 3.0 government has not learnt from its setbacks in recent Lok Sabha polls and misused the law, he said.