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Haryana: Bill on honourable disposal of dead withdrawn after objections by MLAs
A proposed legislation providing for timely last rites of dead and punishing those who use a body for remonstration with imprisonment was withdrawn following objections raised by the opposition benches on Monday. The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024, which was introduced in the House last week came up for consideration of the assembly on Monday.
A proposed legislation providing for timely last rites of dead and punishing those who use a body for remonstration with imprisonment was withdrawn following objections raised by the opposition benches on Monday. The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024, which was introduced in the House last week came up for consideration of the assembly on Monday. It is likely to be tabled again on Tuesday after some modifications.
Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary said that everyone wanted honourable last rites of a deceased. “But if there is a protest, it is because the kin of the deceased feel that they have not been heard. I suggest that there should be a provision in the Bill where the grievances of the aggrieved family are registered,” the Congress MLA said seeking an amendment in the proposed legislation
Another Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra while making a reference to section 6 (1) of the bill – “whenever, an officer-in-charge of the police station has a reason to believe from personal knowledge that any dead body is likely to be used by any family member or a group of persons for remonstration… – objected to the use of term personal knowledge of a cop.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the bill is for anyone who holds protests with a body and tries to exert pressure on the administration. “Haryana is not the only state to introduce such a bill. The Rajasthan government also passed a similar law when Congress was in power in the state,” Khattar said.
Congress MLA from Assandh, Shamsher Singh Gogi said that to protest is people’s right. The bill looks arbitrary, he said.
Citing the killing of INLD state president Nafe Singh Rathee, Congress’ MLA from Gohana Jagbir Singh Malik said going by the provisions of the bill, the family members of the victim cannot even express their resentment and demand arrest of assassins.
Home minister Anil Vij said that it is an important bill as people often hold protests by not allowing cremation for many days. There are many other ways to hold protest in a democratic set up. “This is the reason why the word remonstration has been used in the bill instead of demonstration,” Vij said.
The home minister, however, withdrew the bill for a day stating that he would change some of the wordings suggested by the members of the House.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said that honour and respect for the dead is recognition of human dignity. “Keeping in view the right and dignity of a dead person, nobody should be allowed to raise any demand or bait for pursuing any demands by way of any protest or agitation by not performing the timely last rites of a body. It has become necessary to ensure that no person himself uses or allows the use of a body for remonstration of any kind,” it said.
