Chidambaram Criticizes New Criminal Laws Amid Government's Bold Move

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has criticized the government for replacing three existing criminal laws with new bills without proper discussion. He argues that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam could have been amended rather than replaced. There are concerns about their constitutional validity.

Amid the enactment of three new criminal laws, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the government's approach, calling it a case of "bulldozing" existing laws with inadequate discussion and debate.

Chidambaram criticized the replacement of the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, respectively. He pointed out that, in the long term, these laws must be revised to align with the Constitution and modern principles of criminal jurisprudence.

Detailing his grievances in a post on X, the former home minister said, "90-99% of the so-called new laws are merely a cut, copy, and paste job. A few amendments to the existing laws would have sufficed but have turned into a wasteful exercise." Despite recognizing some improvements in the new laws, Chidambaram highlighted several retrograde provisions, suggesting many changes are prima facie unconstitutional.

Members of the standing committee reportedly offered detailed dissent notes on the bills, which the government did not address. "There was no meaningful debate in Parliament," he noted, adding that numerous experts from law scholars to bar associations have also highlighted deficiencies in the laws.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted these laws, countered by saying they prioritize justice over penal action, unlike the British-era laws they replace.

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