The Opposition has lambasted the government as the new criminal laws became effective on Monday. The Opposition has accused the Centre government of “forcibly” passing the legislation by suspending MPs and without having adequate debate and discussion on it.
Earlier in December 2023, Parliament passed the three criminal laws including Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam legislation. The three new criminal laws replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The Parliament’s then Winter Session had witnessed suspension of nearly two-thirds of the Opposition MPs in both houses, which had come amid the latter’s protest against a Parliament security breach.
Taking to micro-blogging site—X, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “After the political and moral shock in the elections, Modi ji and the BJP are pretending to respect the Constitution, but the truth is that the three laws of the criminal justice system that are being implemented from today were forcibly passed by suspending 146 MPs."
"INDIA will no longer allow this 'Bulldozer Justice' to run on the Parliamentary system," he said.
Congress leader P Chidambaram said 90-99 per cent of the new laws are a "cut, copy and paste job".
"Yes, there are a few improvements in the new laws and we have welcomed them. They could have been introduced as Amendments," Chidambaram said in a post on X.
"On the other hand, there are several retrograde provisions. Some changes are prima facie unconstitutional," he said.
"It is another case of bulldozing three existing laws and replace them with three new Bills without adequate discussion and debate. The initial impact will be to throw the administration of criminal justice into disarray," he said.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said the Parliament must re-examine the new criminal laws, claiming they lay the foundation of turning the country into a police state.
NCP leader Supriya Sule said the new laws pose a significant threat to civil liberties and democratic freedoms.
"By expanding police authority, extending remand periods, permitting solitary confinement, and diminishing judicial oversight, the NDA government is establishing a repressive police state. The soul of Indian Democracy is at stake and we cannot afford to be silent," Sule said.
Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose also expressed concerns about the new laws, saying they are "vaguely worded" and leave "huge scope for the government to snatch away citizens' lives and liberty".
"The offence of 'sedition' has made a backdoor entry -- dangerous," Ghose tweeted. "Terrorism has been defined for the 1st time and made a part of day to day criminal offences -- VERY dangerous. Intrusion into privacy by making 'deceit' an offence on promises of marriage by a man to a woman," she said.
