'Trinamool will oppose three ‘draconian’ draft Bills in Parl’

MP, 27 Oct 2023, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that her party will be voicing protest against the draft Bills that seek to replace Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act. 

She said she is sending her party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar to the Standing Committee of the Parliament to protest against the draft prepared by the Union Home Ministry to substitute these three laws. 

She opined that it is important that her party debates the issue in the Parliament where there are anyway only five to seven members of the Opposition while the rest are all members of ruling party (BJP). 

Banerjee on October 11 wrote on her X handle that the issue will be raised at the Standing Committee in the Parliament when these will be deliberated upon. She alleged that a serious attempt is being made by the Union Home Ministry to “quietly introduce harsh and draconian anti-citizen provisions” in its efforts to substitute the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act. 

She opined that the current Acts should be “de-colonised” not only in form but also in spirit, and urged the jurists and public activists of the country to study these drafts seriously for democratic contributions in the realm of the criminal justice system. A

Condemning the move by NCERT to replace ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks, Banerjee said: “What is NCERT? Who runs it? It’s a part and parcel of the government. Suddenly they asked to remove India’s name and put Bharat instead. India and Bharat both will stay. They are sending a circular to remove ‘India. Why so much fear? 

Because we have an Opposition front named INDIA? We also have a tagline ‘Jeetega Bharat’.” She further appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that cooperative federalism is not destroyed through a vindictive agenda against the Opposition.