New Delhi: Three new bills that seek to overhaul the colonial-era criminal laws, making punishments more stringent for crimes such as terrorism, lynching, and offences endangering national security, were approved by Parliament on Thursday. The bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The Lok Sabha had approved these on Wednesday.
The bills that repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act will usher in a new era in the criminal justice system, Home Minister Amit Shah said while replying to a debate in the Upper House of Parliament. The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bills will now go to the president for her assent, upon which these will become laws.
Just like in the Lok Sabha, the legislations were passed in the Rajya Sabha in the absence of most opposition MPs, who were suspended for unruly behaviour while pressing for a discussion on the December 13 security breach in Parliament. Replying to the debate, Shah said once the new criminal laws are implemented, the entire process from FIR to judgment will be online.
Their implementation will ensure the end of the 'tareekh-pe-tareek'-era and justice will be delivered in three years, he said. Elaborating on the new provisions, Shah said terrorism has been defined and mob lynching made punishable with capital punishment. Also, stringent punishment has been prescribed for those who work against the country, he said.
The absence of the opposition Congress did not stop him from taking a swipe at the party, with Shah saying those who wear "Italian glasses" cannot feel the pride in the Indian Parliament framing the new criminal laws. His jibe was directed at the party's former chief Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian descent.
Meanwhile, three Congress MPs D.K. Suresh, Nakul Nath, and Deepak Baij were suspended from the house for the remainder of the Winter Session for repeatedly disrupting the proceedings of the House. The three bills will replace the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
The Winter Session of Parliament began on December 4 and was scheduled to conclude on December 2, however, it sine die ahead of the scheduled date.
- 8.26 pm Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die.
- 8.13 pm Rajya Sabha passes bills on criminal laws.
- 8.11 pm India will have most modern criminal justice system in world after implementation of new criminal laws, says Amit Shah.
- 8.07 pm Trial in absentia will help in extradition of criminals who committed crimes in India and are sitting abroad: Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 8.05 pm Provision of trial in absentia will instil fear in the mind of those who commit crimes in India and flee: Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 8.02 pm Least number of mob lynching incidents reported since Independence under Modi govt: Amit Shah.
- 8.00 pm Over 70,000 people killed due to terrorism on account of Cong govt's wrong policies: Home Minister Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 7.55 pm We have clearly defined economic offences in new criminal laws: Home Minister Amit Shah.
- 7.51 pm 82 pc of work of integration of various databases completed before passage of new criminal law bills: Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 7.41 pm Replying to the discussion of the new criminal laws in the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah says, the government accepted 72 per cent of suggestions from Standing Committee members on new criminal laws.
- 7.38 pm Soul, body and thought of new criminal laws purely Bharatiya, says Home Minister Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 7.37 pm Definition of terrorism included in new criminal laws: Home Minister Amit Shah.
- 7.35 pm Stringent punishment to be given to those who work against country through new criminal laws: Amit Shah. (PTI)
- 7.34 pm Implementation of new criminal laws will ensure end to 'tareekh pe tareekh'-era, justice will be given in 3 years: Amit Shah (PTI)
- 7.31 pm The law will help deliver speedy justice to the poor, says Shah.
- 7.22 pm The new law aims to provide justice and not mere punishment, says Amit Shah.
- 7.19 pm Amit Shah discusses the three criminal law bills in the Rajya Sabha.
- 7.13 pm Home Minister Amit Shah starts her speech in the Rajya Sabha.
- 7.03 pm BJP MP, Sadanand Shet Tanawde supported the bill.
- 6.09 pm BJP MP Aditya Prasad says it is a historic day for us as we are talking about the criminal law bills.
- 5.56 pm BJP MP Anil Agarwal says, "It is a proud moment for us as the colonial-era criminal laws are to be replaced."
- 5.52 pm BJP MP Sumitra Balmik discusses the three criminal laws in the Rajya Sabha and voices her support for the bills.
- 5.38 pm BJP MP Dinesh Sharma says these laws will be helpful to punish criminals.
- 5.35 pm BJP MP Kavita Patidar praises the three criminal law bills.
- 5.20 pm During the Rajya Sabha session, UPP(L) MP voices his support for the three criminal law bills which were introduced to replace the colonial-era criminal laws
- 5.11 pm BJP MP Biplab Kumar Deb discusses the criminal law bills in Rajya Sabha.
- 5.08 pm Om Birla said that a total of 18 bills, including Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Sanhita - to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act, were passed in the Lok Sabha.
- 5.06 pm The Lok Sabha, which was adjourned sine die a day ahead of schedule on Thursday, recorded 74 per cent productivity in the Winter Session of Parliament, Speaker Om Birla said. (PTI)
- 5.05 pm BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar says the criminal laws are for our people and their liberty
- 4.40 pm BJD MP Sasmit Patra supports the three criminal laws in Rajya Sabha.
- 4.34 pm AIADMK's Thambidurai demands Madras High Court to be renamed Tamil Nadu High Court.
- 4.16 pm Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.
- 4.15 pm Lok Sabha passes the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill.
- 4.05 pm Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Lok Sabha.
- 4.03 pm BJP MP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar voices his support to the criminal laws in Rajya Sabha.
- 4.00 pm "It was the Indira Gandhi government which imposed an Emergency and trampled on the free press. We are giving opportunities to new people to set up a publication easily online," says Thakur in Lower House.
- 3.53 pm Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur discusses press and registration of periodicals bill 2023 in Lok Sabha.
- 3.30 pm Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal took a jibe at the Congress, saying he was allergic to "Congress grass", a type of invasive weed.
- 3.20 pm Three congress MPs Nakul Nath, Deepak Baij and D.K Suresh suspended from Parliament for misconduct and storming the Well. The suspension passes via voice vote.
- 3:05 pm YSRCP MP S. Niranjan Reddy voices his support to the criminal laws.
- 2:45 pm BJD MP Sujeet Kumar discusses the three laws which are tabled to replace the colonial-era criminal laws.
- 2:15 pm
Parliament passed the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, to replace the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950. - 2: 04 pm
Ashwini Vaishnaw says bringing telecom under national security is a conscious and crucial decision by the government. - 1:50 pm
Minister Anurag Thakur introduces the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill in the Lok Sabha. - 1:45 pm
Lok Sabha passes the Election Commissioners’ Bill. - 1:36 pm
BJP MP Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik urges to bring some sensual acts over OTT platforms. - 1:27 pm
BJD MP Amar Patnaik urges the central government that biometrics should not be the reason for the lack of privacy of citizens. - 1:12 pm
BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi says the government has earned a profit of Rs 4,30,000 through telecom auction. - 1:06 pm
Rajya Sabha discusses the Telecom Bill. - 1:02 pm
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday tabled the Telecommunications Bill, 2023 in Lok Sabha amid sloganeering by opposition in the house. - 12:50 pm
BJP MP Pabitra Margherita wants to know the government's action plan for agro-forestry. - 12:46 pm
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav informs that India comprises 70 percent of the total tiger population in the world. He claims that success in tiger conservation became possible due to the government's effective policies. - 12:41 pm
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav says the government took important decisions like ensuring the protection and maintenance of core tiger areas. - 12:38 pm
BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi asks the reason for the rising number of tiger deaths in the country. - 12:22 pm
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav says the government has made a provision for green funds. - 12:13 pm
Union Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur says the issue of providing security to journalists comes under the purview of respective areas in states. He says journalists are being oppressed by the West Bengal government. - 12:10 pm
BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik raises the issue of the security issue of journalists in the country. - 12:07 pm
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav says the government is prioritising air pollution control through scientific measures. - 12:04 pm
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav says India is on course to achieve climate goals through the timely implementation of effective policies. - 12 pm
TDP MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar raises concern over an increase in farmers' suicide in Andhra Pradesh by 20 per cent in 2022 as compared to the previous year. - 11:55 am
BJP MP Baburam Nishad demands that a superfast train from Hamirpur to New Delhi be run shortly. - 11:51 am
BJD MP Sasmit Patra requests the government to take steps so that 7 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas yojana houses come up in Odisha within the stipulated time. - 11:48 am
BJD MP Niranjan Bishi demands that the construction of railways from Bolangir to Nuapara of Odisha be expedited. - 11:44 am
BJP MP Kesridevsinhji Zala demands more number of Sainik schools in the country. - 11:30 am
BJP MP Vijay Pal Singh demands reform in crop loan policy. - 11:24 am
BJP MP Anil Baluni requests the government to denotify some parts of Lansdowne, a popular hill station, to pave the way for its growth as a tourist hotspot. - 11:17 am
BJP MP Iranna Kadadi, who speaks in Kannada, raises the plight of farmers in Karnataka. - 11:15 am
BJP MP Sushil speaks on the need to regulate AI rules to control the spread of deepfake and synthetic videos, which he says, are a threat to democracy. - 11 am
Rajya Sabha proceedings begin. - 10:18 am
Congress MP Manickam Tagore says the Congress is demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the failure of the security breach in Parliament and action against BJP MP Pratap Simha. - 10:11 am
Congress's Chief Whip in Lok Sabha K Suresh says LoP Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders will hold a protest march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk. "Why is the government not giving any answer on the Parliament security breach incident? " he asks. - 10:03 am
Amid the suspension row, three new Bills to replace criminal laws are to be placed before the Rajya Sabha. - 9:25 am
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is likely to move the Telecommunications Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday for consideration and passage to amend and consolidate the law relating to the development, expansion and operation of telecommunication services and telecommunication networks; assignment of the spectrum; and for matters connected therewith. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
