'They betrayed people': Left parties on Cong support for UAPA Amendment Bill

New Delhi: Accusing the Congress of "betraying" the people of the country and having "lost" its vision, the Left parties on Friday hit out at the grand old party for supporting the government on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill.

In a big boost to the government, Parliament approved a crucial amendment to the UAPA Bill on Friday, allowing the Centre to designate individuals as terrorists and seize their properties.

"The Congress backstabbed democracy. They betrayed the minorities. They betrayed the people of India by voting in favour of the draconian UAPA Bill in the Rajya Sabha," Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Elamaram Kareem said.

The UAPA Bill that seeks to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 was passed by the Rajya Sabha with 147 votes in favour of and 42 against it. The Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supported the bill in the Upper House of Parliament.

"The way bills are being passed in this session, particularly the draconian UAPA Bill, very soon Parliament will become redundant. The way the Congress conducted itself was highly condemnable. The Congress party has also lost all its vision.

"It is a new situation. A right-wing, fascist party has captured power. There are increased attacks on democratic and constitutional rights, people do not feel secure and mob lynchings have become the order of the day. In this situation, how can the Congress party side with such a draconian law," Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said.

The House had earlier rejected the opposition-sponsored motion to send the bill to a select committee with 85 votes in favour of and 104 against it. The Congress had voted in favour of the motion.

The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 24.