Gandhinagar, Sep 22 (IANS): The Assembly on Tuesday passed the Gujarat Prevention of Anti Social Activities (PASA) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on the second day of its Monsoon Session.

The Gujarat government had earlier issued an ordinance to bring changes to the PASA Act, proposed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in a Cabinet meeting.

The present law covers drug offences, bootlegging, gambling, cow slaughter, prostitution, and other crimes under the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code. Under the Act, offenders can be held in preventive detention on the order of a District Magistrate for up to one year.

The amendments aim to expand the scope of the existing provisions of the PASA Act, 1985. The Bill provides for detention of persons involved in Information Technology and other cybercrimes too, apart from moneylending and sexual offences.

Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani said: "The Congress fully supports the objectives of the proposed amendments, but we disagree with the provision that allows for the detention of a person for up to a year."

Speaker Rajendra Trivedi proposed voting on the Bill after Congress MLA from Khadia, Imran Khedawala, proposed rejection of the ordinance. The Bill was later passed by majority vote.