Rowlatt act was passed in March 1919 by the Imperial legislative council despite the United opposition of the Indian members. It gave enormous powers to the British government to detain any person for 2years without any trial.

Rowlatt Acts, (February 1919), legislation passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, the legislature of British India. The\xa0acts\xa0allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and permitted internment of suspects without trial.Sedition Act 1870. The\xa0Sedition Act, allowed the government to arrest or detain any person without a fair trial in the court who was seen protesting or criticizing the British authority.In 1919 Gandhiji gave a call for a\xa0Satyagrahaagainst the\xa0Rowlatt\xa0Act, passed by the British. The Act restricted the freedom of expression and strengthened police powers. Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others strongly opposed this Act.