Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
On POTA Ordinance
The ordinance promulgated to amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 will not solve the basic problem which stems from the draconian nature of the Act. The CPI(M) was firmly opposed to the enactment of POTA as law. It has consistently maintained that sufficient laws exist to combat terrorist activities. Since POTA became law, experience has confirmed that such laws will be misused.
The present ordinance only seeks to provide for the review of cases of those already booked under POTA and who make an appeal. It does not, in any way, alter the basic provisions of the law. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that POTA be repealed to prevent further misuse.