Resolution moved in Bengal Assembly seeking review of new criminal laws

PTI, Kolkata, Jul 31, 2024 :  A resolution moved by West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak and others in the state Assembly on Wednesday sought a review of the three new criminal laws by the Centre.

Opposing the resolution, BJP members said that the new laws were brought into force after due deliberations in various sections of the society and that the TMC members moved it with a political motive.

The resolution urged the Union government through the West Bengal government to review the new laws to evolve consensus views of jurists, social activists and citizens in the interest of good governance and to protect the principles of fundamental rights and natural justice.

The three new criminal laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam came into effect across the country from July one, replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Moving the resolution, Ghatak said detailed examination of the three new laws by the West Bengal government and several jurists in the state have found that many provisions of these are “much more draconian and anti-people” than the original provisions of the three older acts.

He maintained that the three bills were passed in the Lok Sabha on December 20 last year after 147 MPs were suspended from Parliament, and the next day in Rajya Sabha without adequate discussion.

Opposing the resolution, BJP Chief Whip in the Assembly Shankar Ghosh said that it was moved with a political motive.

He said adequate discussions on the new bills were made in different states, high courts, judicial academies, law universities and by MPs and MLAs, apart from some general public, before the bills were passed in the Parliament.

Ghosh said that the IPC and CrPC were created by the British rulers to punish Indians and the BJP government at the Centre wants to give justice to the people of the country through the new laws.

The resolution was also moved by Minister of State for Finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya and TMC members Nirmal Ghosh and Ashok Kumar Deb. It was supported by the party’s MLAs Apurba Sarka, Md Ali and Pannalal Halder.

Besides Ghosh, BJP members Ambika Roy and Arup Kumar Das opposed the resolution.

Roy said that a resolution on the same issue was moved and passed in the state Assembly on December 5, 2023, before the bills were passed in the Parliament..

Maintaining that adjournment motions brought by the opposition on important matters in the state are not allowed in the House, he said that it is a dead issue as the laws have already been brought into effect from July one.

Speaker Biman Banerjee said that the earlier motion in December was brought when the previous NDA government was in power at the Centre and that a new government took over following the Lok Sabha elections this year.

Replying to the BJP MLA’s claims, Banerjee said that the previous resolution was with regard to the bills which were yet to be passed in the Parliament and the present resolution is over the new laws.

Discussion on the resolution will continue on Thursday, the Speaker said.