"Centre has some hidden agenda": Jharkhand minister on new bills to replace criminal laws
Aug 12, 2023
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], August 12 : Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta on Saturday took a jibe at the central government after it introduced three bills in Parliament aimed at abolishing British-era criminal laws.
"Centre has some hidden agenda, and according to this hidden agenda, they are making and breaking laws. Time will tell us what are their thoughts and why they are making these changes...", Banna said.
Notably, three bills of momentous significance aimed at replacing British-era laws with a thrust on “justice instead of punishment” were introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the last day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 were introduced in the Lower House of Parliament. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the bills are being referred to the Standing Committee for scrutiny.
While the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 seeks to replace IPC 1860, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 seeks to replace Criminal Procedure Code and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 will replace the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
The Home Minister said that the bills are not aimed at giving punishment but rendering justice. He said the bills have been introduced after extensive consultations.
The key provisions of the legislation include repealing sedition, a new penal code against mob lynching, death for rape of minors and first-time community service as one of the punishments for petty offences.
The offences against women and children, murder and offences against the State have been given precedence. New offences of terrorist acts and organised crime have been added to the Bill with deterrent punishments.
New offences added on acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatist activities, or endangering sovereignty and unity of India and there is one-year imprisonment for bribing voters during elections.
While introducing the bills, Shah said, "British-era laws were made to strengthen and protect their rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice".
“We (government) are going to bring changes in both these fundamental aspects. The soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to Indian citizens. The objective will not be to punish anyone but give justice and in this process, punishment will be given where it is required to create a sense of prevention of crime," Shah stressed.
