Ongole: Activists stage protest against misuse of UAPA

Ongole: Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is the most misused and abused law in the country, said the members of the Committee for Abolition of UAPA while staging a protest before the Collectorate here on Friday.

Organisation for the Protection of Democratic Rights (OPDR) State vice-president Chavali Sudhakar presided over the meeting in which Virasam leader Kalyana Rao, CPI leader Sardar, CPM leader Ramesh, Ryot Coolie Sangham leader Kongara Narasingam, AL Prasad of OPDR, Chunduri Raja Rao Vutukuri Venkateswarlu, Bhimavarampu Subba Rao, Subba Rao, All India Radical Union, G Narasinga Rao of Powra Samajam, K Venkakiah of PDM, Dasari Sundaram of ILP, Sirisha, MS Sai of AIFTU, P Subba Rao of OPDR partipated in the protest.

Addressing a public meeting here on Friday, Chavali Sudhakar said that the constitutional rights are violated freely in the country by the political leaders who take oath on the Constitution that they would protect it.

If anybody questions, he would be arrested under the provisions of the UAPA indiscriminately. He recalled that more than 1,500 persons were arrested across the State on various allegations by invoking the UAPA. More than 70 per cent of the detainees are languishing in jails without even trial, he lamented.

The powers-that-be are more interested in outright sale of public undertakings like ports, roads, railways, airports and even the LIC, he pointed out.

All the speakers unanimously demanded revocation of UAPA in the larger interest of the country.