Manish Tewari Criticizes New Criminal Laws: Calls for Review by Joint Parliamentary Committee

Congress leader Manish Tewari criticized the newly implemented criminal laws, arguing they lay the groundwork for a police state and should be reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He raised concerns about civil liberties, judicial confusion, and the government's lack of policies on employment, while the BJP defended their legislative actions.

In a significant political assertion, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday voiced stern criticism against three newly implemented criminal laws, labeling them as foundational steps towards a police state. Tewari ardently called for a review by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

The new legal framework, comprising the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. These laws aim to modernize India's criminal justice system, introducing provisions such as Zero FIR, digital registration of complaints, and mandatory crime scene videography for severe offenses.

Tewari's apprehensions encompass civil liberties concerns and potential judicial confusion given that cases before June 30 will be decided under old laws, while those after July 1 will follow the new system. Critiquing the BJP-led NDA government, Tewari accused it of falling short on national security and employment generation, as Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde defended the Modi administration's legislative actions and dismissed Congress's warnings as fear-mongering.

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