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Defamatory and insulting: VP slams P Chidambaram’s remarks on new criminal laws

ByNaresh Chander
Jul 07, 2024 01:14 PM IST

The former Union minister claimed that the government bypassed the Law Commission in enacting the three new criminal laws

New Delhi: Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday slammed the remarks made by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on the new criminal laws, saying it was “highly insulting observations towards the Members of Parliament”.

Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar (File Photo)
Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar (File Photo)

The former Union minister claimed that the government bypassed the Law Commission in enacting the three new criminal laws. He said that the Law Commission, comprising retired judges, legal experts, professors, and permanent legal staff, would normally hold consultations with bar council members and advocate associations and prepare a draft to be presented in the Parliament, adding that the drafters of the new criminal laws as “part-timers.”

“I do not have words strong enough to condemn such a narrative. These are derogatory, defamatory, and highly insulting observations towards Members of Parliament,” Dhankhar said during an event at the Indian Institute of Space and Technology on Saturday. The VP also urged Chidambaram to withdraw his comments.

“If you say something you don’t believe in, people will believe you because of your elevated position. Informed people can also mislead you,” Dhankar said.

Discussing the new criminal laws implemented on July 1, Dhankhar noted they aim to serve justice rather than focus on punishment, unlike colonial laws. “From Danda Vidhan, we have come to Nyaya Vidhan,” he said.

Dismissing the allegations that the laws were drafted without consultation, Dhankar said, “Not only Chidambaram but his distinguished colleagues and senior advocates did not come forward to help the nation.”

The three new laws—Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)—replace the IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act. Signed by the President in December last year, they were implemented on July 1, 2024. While the opposition accuses the new laws of being mere copies of the old ones, the government cites significant changes that are made to address technological advancements.

(with PTI inputs)

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