What is the National Security Act? Which States are Using it to Protect Health Workers?

What is the National Security Act
The National Security Act (NSA) will be applied on people who attack policemen and healthcare workers during covid-19 lockdown.
What is the National Security Act
The National Security Act (NSA) will be applied on people who attack policemen and healthcare workers during covid-19 lockdown.

The National Security Act (NSA) was the brainchild of the former Prime Minister of the country Indira Gandhi in 1980. Under this act, the government has the power to detain anyone if the authorities believe that the detainees are a threat to national security. The NSA also has the power to prevent anyone from damaging public order.

According to a journal published by The Anatomy of an Institutionalized Emergency: Preventive Detention and Personal Liberty in India by Michigan Journal of International Law, “The National Security Act (NSA) authorizes the central government and the state governments to utilize preventive detention in certain cases. The central and state governments, as well as district magistrates and police commissioners,” are empowered to detain any individual “with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to” various state objectives including national security and public order.”

Police arrests culprits under NSA in MP & UP

If a person doesn’t follow the rules and regulations of the country, create disturbance in the maintenance of law and order, disrupt the supply of public services, attack police personnel or government officials, the Central or state governments can arrest such people under NSA. Of late, during lockdown 2.0, FIR has been registered by police in several places of Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh under NSA against anti-social elements who have attacked the medical teams and police officers.

Jail for one year without any charge

The most significant provision of the NSA is that the suspect can be put behind bars for one year without any charge. This is not enough; the concerned officer has the power to keep the suspect in custody for ten days without giving any reason.

Rude public beat Healthcare workers

The citizens of the country have to cooperate with the police personnel and medical teams. But things are not running smoothly at the moment. In many places, health and police officers who are trying to perform their duties are facing the ire of public nuisance. As a result, they are being beaten up, and stones are being pelted upon them. Several police officers and even medical professionals have succumbed to the injuries.

Police arrest 4 persons under NSA in Indore

Seeing the gravity of the situation, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments have decided to slap NSA after many incidents of attack on police personnel were recorded while they were enforcing the shutdown. The Indore district administration in Madhya Pradesh booked four men under the National Security Act (NSA). The culprits had allegedly attacked medical teams at Taatpatti Bakhal region in Indore.

The chronology of the story is that the health workers had gone to Taatpatti Bakhal to quarantine the relatives of the COVID-19 patients. The rowdy mob attacked doctors and others with bricks, two women doctors injured in this incident. The police came into action and arrested seven lawbreakers and the district administration took a stringent step and invoked NSA on four persons.

Polices slaps NSA on 5 in Bhopal

In another incident in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), the police arrested five people under the National Security Act (NSA) for attacking police officers and health workers. The administration took this decision in the wake of the state government’s decision to slap NSA against those who are found guilty attacking medical staff deployed on novel coronavirus duty.

Book Moradabad culprits under NSA, UP CM

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an order to the state police to book those who attacked a medical team in Moradabad. The health workers had gone to check on two suspected cases of the COVID-19 in Nawabganj area of Moradabad. The unruly mob pelted stones on an ambulance and police van which came in the rescue of the medical team. The police have arrested ten persons so far, and the search is on to arrest the other suspects. The UP CM has urged the police to book the accused under the NSA.

Be careful! Violators of lockdown

The Dehradun police have issued a notice that they would book the violators of the lockdown under NSA. This has been done to ensure every citizen observes the lockdown imposed by the Central government till May 3 to contain the deadly novel coronavirus. The Dehradun police have made it clear that if people continue to go out from their homes without wearing masks, spit in public and misbehave with the medical teams or police personnel, they will also be booked under NSA.

People should think twice before breaking any law during the lockdown 2.0 period. If found guilty, then culprits may be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). Be careful and cooperate with police personnel and health workers.

Related Links:

Timeline of India COVID-19 Pandemic 2020

Preventive Measures Against Covid-19

What is Aarogya Setu App?