Shah rejects criticism over new criminal laws, says most suggestions incorporated
Opposition leaders attacked the government over the new criminal laws saying they were implemented without proper discussion
Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday rejected the opposition’s criticism that the new criminal laws were a “cut, copy, paste” job and were rushed through without adequate discussion or debate. He insisted that there has not been a law since independence on which such a long discussion has taken place.
Shah clarified the police can take custody of an arrested person for not more than 15 days during a 60-day investigation period. He said that misinformation was being spread in this regard. “We have been consulting on the new laws for four years. I have attended 118 consultative meetings. And in Parliament, there was a 9.29-hour debate in Lok Sabha, 6.7-hour in Rajya Sabha on the new laws...34 members in Lok Sabha and 26 in Rajya Sabha participated [in the debate],” Shah said at a media briefing on the day Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into effect with first case registered in Gwalior.
BNS has replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). BNSS and BSA replaced the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act.
Opposition leaders attacked the government over the new laws saying they were implemented without proper discussion. In a post on X, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said after the political and moral shock in the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party were pretending to respect the Constitution. “...but the truth is that the three laws of the criminal justice system that are being implemented from today [Monday] were forcibly passed by suspending 146 MPs [members of Parliament].”
Former Union home minister P Chidambaram said the government had taken a lazy approach and that 90-99% of the new laws are simply a cut, copy and paste job. “A task that could have been completed with a few amendments to the existing three laws has been turned into a wasteful exercise. Yes, there are a few improvements in the new laws and we have welcomed them. They could have been introduced as Amendments,” Chidambaram said on X.
Congress MP Manish Tewari asked Parliament to re-examine the new criminal laws, saying they pave the way for a police state.
Shah maintained most of the suggestions received for reforms in criminal laws were incorporated in the new laws except four of a political nature. He said the new laws prioritise justice in contrast to penal action in the British era laws. “The criminal justice system of India is now completely indigenous. It will function on Indian ethos. After 75 years, discussions took place on changing these obsolete laws and they are coming into practice,” he said.
He added the new laws emphasise on use of technology for every aspect of the justice system. Shah announced that the Union Cabinet has decided to add six more central forensic science laboratories across the country for the use of forensics in every investigation.
