Mayawati demands withdrawal of UPCOCA bill

The state government introduced the bill to enact a stringent law on the lines of the MCOCA to combat land mafia, mining mafia and organised crimes in the state.

Lucknow, Dec 20: Asserting that the ruling BJP government might misuse it to suppress dalits and religious minorities, BSP chief Mayawati has demanded the withdrawal of the UPCOCA bill, which was introduced in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday.

The state government introduced the bill to enact a stringent law on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to combat land mafia, mining mafia and organised crimes in the state.

Mayawati said the Adityanath government is already misusing various laws for communal and political reasons, and the UPCOCA bill, if passed, will only worsen the situation.

"Laws are grossly misused in the state to the extent that any BJP worker walks up to a police station and the police registers false cases against people," Mayawati said in a statement here.

"The UPCOCA will be used for suppression of poor, dalits, backwards and the religious minorities," she said, adding that the she wanted the bill be withdrawn in public interest.

PTI