A day of resolute resistance unfolded across Maharashtra on April 22, 2025, as citizens, civil society organisations, and political parties came together for a coordinated state-wide agitation demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill (MSPS), 2024. With over 78 protests held across 36 districts—from remote tehsils to urban collectorates—the message was unambiguous: the people reject what they describe as a draconian and anti-democratic law.
In Sindhudurg, a formal memorandum was submitted to the District Collector by Shri Bhaskar Kasar, representing the coordinated anti-bill movement. Addressed to DM Walawalkar, the memorandum called for the scrapping of the MSPS Act, citing its unconstitutional overreach and misuse of the term ‘public security’ to suppress dissent and target marginalised communities.
In Nanded, members of the Jan Suraksha Vidhayak Virodhi Samiti staged a Satyagraha, sitting in peaceful protest under a banner demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Bill. Community leaders and activists took turns addressing the gathering, warning of the chilling implications of this law for citizens’ rights and democratic discourse.
Symbolic acts of protest also marked the day’s events. In a striking demonstration held in Goregaon (West), protesters staged a dharna to denounce what they called the “insidious intention of the State” in introducing a bill “mischievously titled” as a Jan Suraksha (Public Security) Act. One protester commented that “even canines have understood the threat to democracy,” referencing the presence of a protest dog draped in a sloganed banner—a biting visual critique of the government’s attempt to silence criticism.
At Beed district, part of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) division, a mass sit-in was held outside the Collector’s Office. People’s movements and Left front parties jointly led the action, warning that the Bill aims to usher in an era of “autocratic rule” by robbing citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. Placards and speeches throughout the day declared: “Under the guise of Jan Suraksha, they are snatching away our right to speak, to organise, to protest. This is not security—this is suppression.”
In Raigad, parallel protests took place both at the District Collector’s Office and the Tehsildar’s Office in Uran.
While Mumbai’s Bandra Collectorate saw a gathering of progressive groups rallying under the slogan: “Awaken, progressive society of Mumbai! Join the protest against the anti-people Maharashtra Public Security Act on April 22nd at 3 PM in front of the Bandra Collector’s Office. Scrap the Jan Suraksha Act. Inquilab Zindabad!”
In Nanded, the Jan Suraksha Vidhayak Virodhi Samiti held a Satyagraha demanding the scrapping of the Maharashtra Public Security Bill 2024. Protesters gathered under a large tent bearing banners that read “Jan Suraksha Vidhayak Radd Karo”, asserting that the law was aimed at silencing dissent and eroding constitutional freedoms.
Speeches were delivered by Comrade Sanjay Nangare (Shiv Sena UBT), Adv. Avinash Magre (Congress), Dr. Amol Phadke (Congress), and Dattatray Funde (Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana), all sharply criticising the Bill’s provisions and the threat they pose to democracy. A memorandum was submitted to Tehsildar Prashant Sangade during the demonstration.
Key attendees included Com. Adv. Subhash Lande (CPI), Bhagwanrao Gaikwad, Babanrao Pawar, Dattatray Are, Vaibhav Shinde, Ram Lande, Vishnu Gore, Balasaheb Mhaske, Ashok Najan, Adv. Afroz Shaikh, Babulal Sayyed, Geeta Thorve, Anjali Bhujbal, Mrs. Sable, and others.
In Thane, members of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan and the Maharashtra State Workers’ Union (Thane district) staged a protest outside the District Collector’s office, decrying the Maharashtra Public Security Bill 2024 as anti-democratic and anti-worker.
The diverse and decentralised nature of these protests reflects the intensity of opposition to the MSPS Bill across Maharashtra.
Critics of the Bill have raised serious constitutional and legal objections. The Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024 allows the state to declare any organisation “unlawful” for acting against the “security of the state” or “public order”—terms that remain undefined and dangerously vague. The Bill gives sweeping powers to the police, including warrantless searches and seizures, extended pre-trial detention, and immunity from prosecution. It also empowers the government to seize the property of those accused, even before conviction, and criminalises ‘support’ to unlawful organisations in ways that can encompass mere association, speech, or financial transactions.
Legal experts and rights defenders have warned that the legislation mirrors the most repressive features of central laws like the UAPA and the erstwhile TADA, but with weaker procedural safeguards. It also bypasses judicial scrutiny by allowing the executive to set up “Public Security Councils” to take punitive action. These measures, protestors argue, are not about ensuring safety but about consolidating power and shrinking democratic space.
As the protests continue to gather momentum and testimonies of resistance pour in from across the state, the message is clear: the people of Maharashtra are not willing to cede their rights in the name of a security paradigm that criminalises dissent.
Related:
Understanding the Maharashtra Special Public Security (MSPS) Bill, 2024 | Threat to Civil Liberties?
Press Release: Experts warn, Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill a threat to civil liberties