Home Ministry revokes NSA imposed on Ujjain adulterator

In mid-July, the Congress government launched the ‘Shuddha Ke Liye Yudha’ (war for purity) programme, under which 89 FIRs have been lodged against various people for adulterated food items. Kelkar was the first to be detained under the NSA, and the stringent provisions of the Act were invoked against a subsequent 30 people.

However, the Union Home Ministry, using powers under Section 14 of the NSA, directed the MP Home Secretary to release Kelkar forthwith “unless he is required to be kept in jail in connection with some other case”.

The order dated October 10, which was also copied to the Ujjain District Magistrate and Jail Superintendent, Indore, said Kelkar may be tried in the cases registered under the normal law of the land, and his activities may be kept under discreet watch. The order asked the state authorities to inform the Central government of compliance with the order.

On Tuesday, Congress leaders Shobha Oza and Abhay Dubey said Kelkar was a habitual offender and had been booked for a similar offence in 2015 and penalised in July 2016. Dubey alleged that Kelkar was associated with the BJP, and that a senior RSS leader and the BJP had used its connections to secure his release.

However, the BJP alleged under the guise of a crackdown against adulteration, the Congress government was targeting some people associated with the saffron party.

BJP spokesperson Deepak Vijayvargiya said the Congress government can challenge the order in court, but it was not proper to bring politics in legal matters. He said the NSA was not meant for adulteration, and therefore, the Union ministry must have found the detention in violation of law.