What is National Security Act ? Why it is problematic?

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National Security Act What happened? The LG of Delhi has passed an order giving the Police Commissioner the power to detain individuals under the National Security Act (NSA) for a period of three months — between 19 January and 18 April. What is the National Security Act? A British Era law that allows police to detain someone for months if the police feels the person is a threat to national security or law and order. This was revised into the NSA in 1980 by Indira Gandhi. Why is it problematic? The NSA allows police to detain a person without bringing charges against the individual for months. It doesn't even have to explain the reason for arrest to the individual for 10 days. The detainee does not have access to a lawyer. The law popularly known as the law of “no vakil, no appeal, no daleel” Why do we still have this law? Legal experts have argued over the years that this law has no place in a democratic country. But successive governments (state and centre and across party lines) have maintained the law and regularly misused it to target people of interest. Back to Delhi. What is the police response ? The police have said this is a routine order and these powers are re-notified every quarter and similar orders were issued in July and October last year Why is this worrying now? The unease in Delhi with the protests, violence in the university and the upcoming elections seems like fertile grounds for more misuse of this law