Commenting on the three new criminal laws that came into effect on Monday, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar alleged that the legislation had been passed without discussion when more than 140 MPs were under suspension.
The senior AAP leader said if read carefully, 10 per cent of these laws, 90 per cent of which are old, give sweeping powers to the police. From today on, the burden on the country’s courts is going to increase as they have to deal with two types of criminal laws.
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As regards the previous laws, she said in 1973, six law commissions sat on discussion on them for 13 years. All the laws that reflected the colonial past, through which police brutality was put into practice by the erstwhile British rule, had been removed, she pointed out.
She said in the Supreme Court too, after long amendments, like in the information where a cognizable offence is clearly reflected, it had been made necessary for the police to register FIR. “If you approach the police with a complaint of kidnapping or theft, the cops have to file an FIR and begin the probe,” she added.
The AAP leader predicted that the changes made in the laws would again take things back to older times and foresaw a rise in police brutality with these laws.
She also questioned the need for notifying these laws in such a hurry, that too, without proper discussion.
Citing an example, she said with these laws the police can now confiscate a person’s property without obtaining a court order.
Taking to social media platform X, Kakkar requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a threadbare discussion on the new laws. “@AmitShah sir, just heard your interview. You said you are open for a discussion on new criminal laws and will give time to anyone who is desirous of a discussion of the same. It is requested that you pls provide time for a discussion on the aforementioned subject. In anticipation of a positive response,” AAP chief national spokesperson wrote.
