Thane, Sep 1 (PTI) The Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Federation on Friday submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde opposing any plan to make section 353 of Indian Penal Code, which deals with assault on public servants, less stringent.

As per the memorandum, gazetted officers will hold a protest on September 15 at collectorates across Maharashtra.

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It said section 353 was brought in to safeguard government servants from attack from anti-socials and it was successful in its aim, adding that proposed changes are "one sided and would demoralise" them.

In July this year, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, had said in the Assembly that the government was planning to water down stringent amendments brought to section 353 as it had emerged that the section was being "misused" by police against politicians.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)