Opposition members have raised objection to the way deliberations on the three Bills that seek to overhaul the criminal justice system are being conducted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. One Opposition MP has written to the Chairperson and BJP MP Brij Lal that the minutes of the meetings were not recording the points raised by members of the Opposition.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakhshya Bill, 2023 seek to replace Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898; and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.
Also read: Bills seeking to replace IPC, CrPC, Indian Evidence Act referred to Standing Committee
The committee held its fourth meeting on Tuesday. It is a learnt that a Parliamentary leader of a large Opposition party in a letter to the chairman on Monday had complained that Opposition members were not getting enough time to present their views on the subject. Considering the significance of the Bills, the MP wrote that members should not be rushed. He also said that so far, the committee has been calling experts without consulting all the members.
In the letter, the MP also said that the minutes of the last three meetings did not reflect the views of Opposition members. The MP specifically pointed out the instance of the meeting held on August 24, when DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran had submitted letter to the panel and also spoke about the overt emphasis on Hindi in these Bills and the problems that non-Hindi speakers will face. “We were amazed to see, that Mr. Maran’s comments have not made it to the minutes of the meeting,” a member said.
