Govt. rules out recommending GUJCOCA to President

New Delhi, Aug 1(ANI): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday ruled out recommending the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime (GUJCOC) bill to President Pratibha Patil, saying that the bill clashed with the law passed by the Parliament.

Chidambaram said this while addressing media in national capital on Saturday when asked to react to the Gujarat assembly passing the GUJCOC bill this week without any amendments suggested by the Centre.

"If any state comes to the Central government for the assent of the President for a bill which is in conflict with the last expression of the mind of Parliament, how do you expect the Home Minister to consent or recommend assent to that bill? It is simply not possible," said.

Chidambaram further said that Government has to respect law passed by Parliament when it amended the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act last year.

"I have to respect the last expression of the mind of Parliament. The last expression of the mind of Parliament is the amendment carried out in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. That is how Parliament has spoken," he said.

"Parliament has spoken and said confession made before a police officer will not be admissible. Parliament has spoken and said the last word on bail is the magistrate or a court and not the prosecutor. Parliament has spoken and said a person should not be detained without producing before a magistrate beyond a certain period of time. That is the last expression of the minds of Parliament," he added.

Chidambaram had said that under this bill a confession made by a police officer is admissible in court, which should not be made admissible. He had also objected to a clause in the act that prevents court from granting the bail if the public prosecutor opposes it.

He had even specifically highlighted that Cabinet could only recommend it for the President's nod when all the suggested amendments were made. (ANI)