The Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on August 2 passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Amendment Bill after days of deadlock between the Government and opposition parties over the controversial legislation, reports India Today. Out of the total members who voted, 147 MPs (Member of Parliament) were in favour of passing the new changes to the anti-terror bill while 42 voted against it. One of the contentious parts among the amendments is that it will give the Government power to declare any individual as a terrorist.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah responded to concerns Opposition had raised with regards to the bill. Shah said that the sole purpose of the UAPA Amendment Bill is to fight terror and it has no other ulterior motive. "This (UAPA) Act is to fight terror and has no other purpose," he said. The Home Minister also said that it is important to identify terrorists individually and not just terror organisations.