New Delhi : On Monday, as the government replaced colonial-era laws with new criminal legislation, the Opposition Congress condemned the move as another instance of hastily bulldozing existing laws without sufficient debate. Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed concerns in a detailed social media statement, describing 90-99 per cent of the new laws as a “cut, copy, and paste job.” He suggested that the government could have achieved the same outcomes with minor amendments rather than completely overhauling the legal framework.
“While we appreciate some improvements in the new laws, they could have been introduced as amendments. However, there are several provisions that are regressive and possibly unconstitutional,” Chidambaram remarked. He criticized the lack of meaningful debate in Parliament and highlighted criticisms from legal experts, judges, and lawyers regarding serious deficiencies in the new laws.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the new criminal laws were pushed through Parliament by suspending 146 Opposition MPs. He accused the government of disregarding democratic processes and imposing laws without adequate parliamentary scrutiny.
“The Modi government and the BJP are feigning respect for the Constitution after facing political setbacks, but the truth is that these new criminal justice laws were imposed forcefully,” Kharge asserted on social media.
The three new laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam—came into effect on Monday, replacing archaic laws such as the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act. The reforms include provisions allowing Zero FIRs to be filed at any police station, online registration of police complaints, and serving of summons via SMS or electronic means.
Moreover, the new legislation aims to expedite justice delivery by mandating court judgments within 45 days of trial completion and framing charges within 60 days of the first hearing. Special emphasis has been placed on expediting cases related to offences against women and children to ensure timely resolution.
Despite these provisions, the Congress party remains critical of the manner in which the laws were enacted, stressing the importance of robust parliamentary debate and scrutiny in shaping legislation that impacts the nation’s legal framework.
