Congress leader P Chidambaram argued that the crucial bills should have been entrusted to the Law Commission, not a committee with ‘part-time’ members who had other responsibilities.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday stood by his criticism of the criminal bills drafting process, despite VP Jagdeep Dhankhar's rebuke. Chidambaram argued that the crucial bills should have been entrusted to the Law Commission, not a committee with ‘part-time’ members who had other responsibilities.
Chidambaram wrote on X: "In May 2020, the MHA constituted a Committee for Reforms of Criminal Laws. It had a Chairman, Convenor and members. Its composition was changed from time to time but in the end, the Committee had a Convenor and five members. All but one member were serving Professors of various Universities and served as part-time members of the Committee. It is this Committee that submitted drafts of the three new Criminal Laws. Eventually, Parliament passed the laws."
He added, "I maintain that the drafting of such crucial Bills should have been entrusted to the Law Commission and not to a Committee whose members served part-time and had other responsibilities."
Chidambaram had told The Indian Express that the laws should not have been scrutinised by the panel of part-timers.
On Saturday, Dhankhar described his words as an "inexcusable insult to the wisdom of parliament".
"I do not have words strong enough to condemn such a kind of narrative being set forth. A member of parliament being labelled as a part-timer, ultimately it is a parliament that is a last source of law formulation," he stated.
“I appeal to him (Chidambaram) from this platform, please withdraw this derogatory, defamatory and highly insulting observations about the Members of Parliament (MPs). I hope he does it,” the Vice President said while addressing the 12th convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) here.
Dhankar further said that “when informed minds knowingly lead you astray, we need to be on guard”.
“This morning, when I read a paper, an informed mind, who had been the Finance Minister of this country, a Parliamentarian for long and currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, stunned me,” the VP said.
The VP, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said that every MP had the opportunity to contribute when the three laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Saksha Adhiniyam — were being debated in the House.
“With a heavy heart, I am sharing with you, that this honourable gentleman, a distinguished member of Parliament who has a great background as finance minister, did not use his lung power. He gave total rest to his vocal chords while debate was going on,” he said.
Dhankar said that Chidambaram must hold himself accountable for the “failure of duty on your part, an act of omission/commission, dereliction of duty, which can never be explained”.
(With PTI Inputs)