"Shahenshah has enacted a law against drivers": Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over hit-and-run law

New Delhi [India], January 2 : Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'Shahenshah' (Emperor), Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday lashed out at the Centre and said that the recently passed Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) bill contains a provision that will affect the drivers of the nation and can have fatal consequences.
Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police or any official from the administration can face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
Earlier, the punishment in such cases was two years in the IPC.
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said," The insistence on making laws without discussion with the affected class and without dialogue with the opposition is a continuous attack on the soul of democracy. While more than 150 MPs were suspended, Shahenshah in Parliament enacted a law against drivers, the backbone of the Indian economy, which could have fatal consequences."
Rahul Gandhi further stated that the government has forgotten the difference between an order of an emperor and justice.
"Throwing hard-working class with limited earnings into the harsh legal furnace can badly affect their lives. Also, misuse of this law can lead to 'recovery mechanisms' along with organized corruption. The government which runs democracy with the whip has forgotten the difference between 'emperor's directive' and 'justice'," Rahul Gandhi said.
Several transporters and auto-driver associations across India are protesting against the new law on hit-and-run incidents.
Private transport operators claim the law discourages drivers and may lead to unjust punishments. They claim that the drivers could be subject to mob violence when they attempt to transport the injured to hospitals and demand the repeal of the law.
On the protest by transport associations, and drivers against the new law on hit-and-run cases, All India Motor and Goods Transport Association President, Rajendra Kapoor said, "Our only demand from the govt is that the decision should have been taken after having consultations with our stakeholders. There was no discussion with anyone on this, and no one was asked about this. There should have been prior meetings and consultations."
Earlier, private bus and truck drivers on Monday enforced a 'chakka jam' (traffic jam) across the state of Madhya Pradesh in protest against a new hit-and-run law.
A similar protest also broke out in the Chhattisgarh capital, Raipur, where bus drivers staged a demonstration against the new central law.