Gujarat Congress leaders to meet President over GCTOC bill

Gujarat Congress leaders today said they would meet President Pranab Mukherjee on May 23 and request him not to sign the 'Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill-2015', passed by the state assembly on March 31 this year.
The delegation will include Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel, Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki, Rajya Sabha MPs and Congress MLAs from the state.
"We will request him not to sign the bill and send it back to Gujarat government without giving assent," said a press release issued by Congress MLA from Dariyapur Gyasuddin Shaikh.

Governor O P Kohli sent the bill to Mukherjee earlier this month as some provisions would need President's assent.
"The bill violates fundamental rights. In 2008, the then President Pratibha Patil suggested three changes and sent it back. However, state government passed the bill once again without making changes," said Shaikh.
"It seems that through the bill, Gujarat government is only interested in playing politics instead of curbing crime."
The controversial provisions of the bill include permission to intercept telephone conversations on any person and making confession made to police officer an admissible evidence.
The bill had been sent back by then President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004, and by Patil in 2008. It was once again passed by the state assembly in 2009. A new bill, named GCTOC, was passed this March.