A public meeting was held on 30 June 2025 at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, to oppose the Maharashtra Government’s proposed Public Security Bill 2024, which is being brought forward by the ruling BJP in the legislative session. The protest was organised by the Jan Suraksha Vidheyak Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, comprising CPI (ML) Liberation, CPI, CPI(M), Shetkari Kamgar Paksha, Samajwadi Party, Shramik Mukti Dal, Bharat Jodo Andolan, and RPI (Secular).
Strong criticism has been raised about the Joint Committee’s report on the Maharashtra Special Public Safety Bill, 2024 (Assembly Bill No. 33). The report does not reflect what actually happened during the five meetings of the Committee. The government has left out important objections made by the Opposition regarding key parts of the Bill, such as the definitions of offences, the broad powers given to the police for seizure and arrest, the control of investigations, the formation of the Advisory Board, and the removal of district courts for first appeals. This suggests that the government is trying to avoid proper debate and suppress dissent.
Thousands of people from across Maharashtra, including districts such as Mumbai, Palghar, Kolhapur, Solapur, Dahanu, Pune, and Gadchiroli were in attendance. CPI (ML) leaders Comrade Uday Bhatt, Comrade Vijay Kulkarni, and Comrade Shyam Gohil addressed the gathering, along with Ulka Mahajan of Bharat Jodo Andolan, Brehan Lobo and Sunil Bhusare of the Kashtakari Sanghatana, Samajwadi Party’s Rahul Gaikwad, CPI(M)’s Rege Shailendra Kamble, MLA Vinod Nikole, CPI’s Prakash Reddy, Subhash Lande, and Comrade Kongo.
All speakers denounced the bill, stating it was aimed at suppressing democratic rights under the guise of targeting ‘urban Naxals’, granting unchecked powers to the police, and imposing restrictions on voluntary, democratic, and left organisations and movements.
Leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve, NCP leaders Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, and Jitendra Awhad, ‘Hum Bharat ke Log’ leader Feroze Mithiborwala, Red Flag’s Comrade Adesh, Shashikant Shinde, and MLA Rohit Pawar were also present and expressed their firm opposition to the proposed bill.
