The bill received the assent of the President of India and was brought into effect by notification issued on 12 April 2006.
The act also states any person whose actions "encourage(s) the disobedience of the established law" will be considered "unlawful".
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, in a statement, said that the present definition of "unlawful activities" imperils free exercise of fundamental freedoms set out under Article 19 of the Constitution and illustratively it appears to restrict the right to hold public meetings; organise public protests; and oppose government policies through the media.
Dr. Binayak Sen, General Secretary, Chhattisgarh People's Union for Civil Liberties was detained under this Act on 14 May 2007 allegedly for his linkages with the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
[2] President Christopher Warren, in a statement, said, "Freedom of the press is a pre-requisite for the peaceful resolution of conflict, and restricting the media from carrying out its professional activities can only lead to more suspicion and misinformation.