Held 158 Meets, Checked Every Comma: Amit Shah On Bills To Replace Penal Code

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, responding to the debate on the new criminal laws today, said he has personally checked everything in detail, holding as many as 158 meetings. "I have gone through every comma, full stop of the new criminal laws," the minister said, insisting that they were in consonance with the spirit of Constitution.

The bills were withdrawn after the monsoon session and three new bills introduced, as a few changes were to be made, Mr Shah said. The new bills, he added, have been examined by the Standing Committee and instead of coming up with official amendments, it was decided to bring the bills again.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, were placed in parliament as 143 members of the Opposition were suspended over the last two days.

The numbers of suspensions in the Lok Sabha reached 97 today with the suspension of two more MPs.

Insisting that the new laws will replace the colonial era Indian Penal Code, Amit Shah said the new bills lay "emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people".

Mr Shah said the bills will encourage the use of technology in giving justice to people. He said "mob-lynching" had been included as an offence in the bills.

Mr Shah had introduced the three amended criminal law bills in Lok Sabha last week. The discussion on the bills, which would replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872, started yesterday.