SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that while implementing the three new criminal laws is not the responsibility of the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, his administration must do more to raise awareness about these provisions.
Speaking to reporters after attending a meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah to review the implementation of the new criminal laws, Omar said, “As far as the elected government is concerned, it is not our responsibility to implement these laws. However, since these are new laws, people should be aware of them. The elected government needs to do more in this regard.”
The Chief Minister added that while JK has performed well in implementing the laws, certain weak areas still need to be addressed.
Omar said that there was no discussion on the security situation in Jammu Kashmir during the meeting.
“I had already discussed security matters concerning JK during my recent meeting with the Home Minister in Parliament,” he said.
When asked about his exclusion from security reviews related to the Union Territory, Omar said he could not comment on the decision.
“There is a difference between this meeting and those meetings. This meeting focused on new laws and their implementation. If a decision has been made to exclude elected representatives from security matters, what more can I say?” he remarked.
On Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s reaction to the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Omar said, “The Leader of Opposition has the right to dissent in the selection meeting. The opposition does not always have to agree with the government. The matter regarding the constitution of the selection committee for appointing the CEC and election commissioners is sub judice in the Supreme Court.”
The high-level meeting, chaired by the Union Home Minister, was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officials from the central and J&K governments.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 after the new laws came into effect on July 1 last year. — (KNO)
