3 criminal bills passed in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha passed the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023; and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, on Thursday. The amended bills were passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. They will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, and the Evidence Act, 1872.
The bills were passed unanimously
Bills not intended at punishing, but giving justice: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the bills in the Upper House, said, "The three bills I have tabled today are not intended to punish but to give justice." "The soul of these laws is Indian, and for the first time, our criminal justice system will be governed by laws made by India, for India, and made in the Indian Parliament," he added.
Bills aimed at revamping colonial-era criminal laws
The new bills seek to modernize colonial-era criminal laws, with an emphasis on toughening penalties for crimes like terrorism, lynching, and endangering national security. Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and said that the passage of the new criminal bills is a "watershed moment" in our history.
PM Modi reacts to development
Bills passed in absence of opposition MPs
The bills were passed in both Houses in the absence of 144 opposition MPs, who have been suspended for alleged "unruly conduct." Opposition MPs are demanding a statement from Shah regarding last week's security breach in Parliament. On December 13, two individuals—Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D—jumped into the Lok Sabha's chamber from the visitors' gallery, shouting slogans and setting off smoke canisters.
