Postpone the date of implementation of new criminal law, Mamta Banerjee wrote a letter to PM Modi

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him/her to postpone the implementation of three new criminal laws ‘passed in haste’. These three laws are to come into force from July 1. Mamata stressed on a fresh parliamentary review of criminal laws. In a letter to Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief expressed serious concern over the implementation of the three laws. These three new laws are the Indian Judicial Code, the Indian Civil Protection Code and the Indian Evidence Act, 2023.

Mamata Banerjee met P Chidambaram
According to sources, the TMC chief on Thursday also met senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was part of the Parliamentary standing committee examining the bills, and discussed the issue with him/her. TMC leader Derek O’Brien, DMK leader NR Elango and Chidambaram had expressed dissent in their report on the three bills.

‘146 MPs were suspended when the law was passed’
Mamata said that these three bills were passed in the Lok Sabha at a time when 146 MPs were suspended from the House. Mamata said, ‘Your previous government passed these three important bills unilaterally and without any debate. On that day, about 100 members of the Lok Sabha were suspended and a total of 146 MPs from both the houses were thrown out of Parliament.’ She said, ‘The bills were passed in a dictatorial manner in that dark period of democracy. The matter should now be reviewed.’

‘Consider extending the date of implementation of the law’
Mamata said, ‘I now urge your office to at least consider extending the implementation date. There are two reasons for this: moral and practical.’ She said that these important legislative changes should be discussed afresh and placed before the newly elected Parliament for scrutiny. The TMC chief said that in view of the widespread objections expressed publicly to the new laws passed in haste, a fresh parliamentary review would demonstrate commitment to democratic principles. This method will provide the newly elected public representatives an opportunity to thoroughly examine the proposed law.

‘Need to work at the grassroots level’
She said, ‘Any far-reaching legal change requires careful groundwork beforehand to be properly implemented and we have no reason to avoid such an exercise.’ The Bengal Chief Minister said, ‘I humbly request you to consider our appeal to defer the implementation of the Indian Justice Code (BNA) 2023, Indian Evidence Act (BSA) 2023 and Indian Civil Protection Code (BNSS) 2023.’ Mamata Banerjee said that we believe that this postponement will enable renewed parliamentary review/mandate, strengthen public confidence in the legal system and uphold the rule of law in our beloved country.

Sources said the issue will be raised by opposition parties in the upcoming Parliament session. They said several parties of the ‘India’ alliance have supported the demand to postpone the implementation of the new laws. Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the three new criminal laws will come into force from July 1.

(With agency inputs)