TMC passes resolution for consensus building on bills to replace old laws

A resolution by the ruling Trinamool Congress seeking consensus building on three Bills introduced before Parliament by the BJP-led NDA government to replace the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act was passed in the West Bengal assembly on Wednesday through voting.

The voting process witnessed protests by opposition BJP members when a few treasury bench members, including ministers, entered the House after Speaker Biman Banerjee ordered that the doors be closed.

The resolution was passed with 101 votes in favour and 42 against.

In August, the Centre had introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 to replace the existing Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act.

After voting, some BJP legislators went out of the House and raised slogans over the entry of a few TMC members after the Speaker ordered that House doors be closed closed for voting.

Discussions on the resolution took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The BJP MLAs, who had in the first half of the day staged a walkout from the House after its demand for a discussion on closed tea gardens in the state was disallowed by the Speaker, participated in the discussion on the resolution that took place after recess.

Opposing the resolution seeking consensus building on the three Bills introduced before Parliament, BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh said old laws are required to be changed and that the current government at the Centre is doing it.

He said the BJP is trying to create a new India where everyone will get justice.

Supporting the resolution, state Law Minister Moloy Ghatak claimed that by way of the new Bills, people's civil rights were being sought to be curtailed.

TMC MLA Tapas Roy claimed that the present government at the Centre was compelling people to accept Hindi in legislation.

Moving the resolution on Tuesday, West Bengal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sovandeb Chattopadhyay had said from a study of the Bills, it appears that many provisions in these are much more draconian and anti-people than the original provisions in the old codes and Acts which are meant to be supplanted.

Chattopadhyay claimed that the three new Bills surreptitiously want to entrench police raj in India by conferring more powers in the hands of enforcement authorities than were even contemplated during the colonial days.

He said that since the present Lok Sabha is almost nearing its end of term, it would be fair and appropriate that the new government and the newly elected members deliberate on these important legislations.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)