Bombay High Court: Maharashtra Defends Public Security Act, Cites Maoist Groups

Maharashtra tops the country with 64 Maoist frontal organizations, the State government said in an affidavit before the Bombay High Court defending Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025. [Indian National Congress & Ors. v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.]The affidavit filed on October 6 cited data from the Ministry of Home Affairs which claimed that other States reported significantly lower numbers. “Maharashtra has highest number of frontal organization (64) in country, whereas state like Andhra Pradesh (19 - banned 7), Telangana (out of 29 - banned 7), Chhattisgarh (11 - banned 11), Odisha (7 - banned 7), Jharkhand (14 - banned 14),” the affidavit stated. The affidavit came in response to petitions filed by Congress and Communist Party of India challenging the constitutional validity of the 2025 Act. The affidavit by the State Home Department emphasised that because of its high urban population, Maharashtra has become the centre of Maoist urban network.Unlike neighbouring States, Maharashtra previously lacked a specific public security law to outlaw these frontal groups. MHA guidelines also mandated enactment of legislation by State to be included in the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. The scheme included funds vital to counter Maoist operations. The State authorities explained that the Act is a robust legal framework to prevent and tackle unlawful, subversive and extremist activities. “It balances the fundamental libert