SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussing the three new criminal law bills in Lok Sabha, affirmed that the proposed laws include a provision for the death penalty in cases of mob lynching.
The three bills were successfully passed in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
According to an IndiaSpend analysis, there were 66 cases of cow-related violence between 2010 and 2017, and 97 per cent of these incidents were reported after 2014.
In 2020, India witnessed 23 incidents of mob lynching as against 107 incidents in 2019 as per the reportage in the media. These 23 incidents claimed 22 lives.
The incidents of mob lynching are increasing every year, and the victims are often targeted based on their religion, caste, or profession.
Shah also announced the elimination of the sedition law, drawing attention to its historical use by the British to detain Indian freedom fighters. The sedition law made by the British, under which Tilak Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and many of our freedom fighters remained in jail for years and that law continues till date. For the first time, the Modi government has decided to completely abolish the sedition law,” he said while addressing the Lok Sabha.
Highlighting the transformative nature of the proposed legislation, Shah explained, “Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which will replace the Indian Penal Code, focuses on justice rather than punishment.”
The bills – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 were initially introduced in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, with Shah presenting amended versions in the Winter Session.
Shah outlined key changes in the proposed laws, emphasizing enhanced police accountability. He stated, “Details about arrested individuals must now be recorded at every police station, and a designated police officer will be responsible for maintaining these records.” Shah also touched upon the gender-neutral modifications in trafficking laws and the automatic application of POCSO equivalent provisions for the rape of a girl under 18 years of age.
