National Security Act: The Punjab government on Tuesday told the High Court to implement the strict National Security Act (NSA) against Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh. You must have heard about NSA and its effects in many big cases. This is a very strict law. Let us know what is the National Security Act and under what circumstances it is used.
What is National Security Act
According to the Home Ministry, under the National Security Act, if a person poses a specific threat to the country, then he can be taken into custody. If a person is a threat to the country in any way, then the state or central authority can arrest him under the NSA law. NSA was created in the year 1980 with the aim of giving more power to the government in terms of the security of the country. If someone disturbs public order or obstructs essential supplies and services, that person can also be detained under this law.
Provisions of NSA
According to the Deccan Herald report, if a person poses a threat to India’s relations with other countries, he can be arrested under this law. This act also gives the government the power to imprison suspected foreigners, control them or deport them from India. Preventive detention is allowed for 12 months under the NSA, which can be extended if the government finds new evidence against the suspect. During this time the prisoner is not prosecuted. Although the person can appeal to the advisory panel of the High Court, he is not allowed to have a lawyer during the trial.
History of NSA Act
According to the report of Deccan Herald, Indira Gandhi’s government made it a law on 23 September 1980 by passing the Parliament NSA. In the year 1818, the Bengal Regulation III Act was enacted which allowed British rule to arrest any person without giving legal aid to maintain law and order. Then in 1919, the Rowlatt Act also gave the British government the right to arrest without trial. An example of this is the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
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