Maharashtra tells Bombay High Court it has 64 Maoist frontal organisations as it defends its Special Public Security Act

9 October 2026

The Maharashtra government has filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court defending the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025.
The affidavit was filed through Pritamkumar Jawale, Deputy Secretary of the Home Department, before Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The State said Maharashtra tops the country with 64 Maoist frontal organisations, and that it had no law to ban left-wing extremist front organisations before this Act.
It said it adopted a law similar to those already in force in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The affidavit cited the Bhima-Koregaon violence of 1 January 2018 and the Elgar Parishad case as evidence of urban Maoist activity.
The State argued that Article 19(2) of the Constitution permits restrictions on freedom of speech and of association on public order grounds.
It said the Joint Committee examined more than 15,000 written objections, after which the Title and Preamble were revised, the Advisory Board's composition was altered, and investigation was restricted to officers not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The petitions challenging the Act were filed by the Indian National Congress and others, and the matter is listed for further hearing.