During his address in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted that the era under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has witnessed the lowest number of mob lynching incidents in the country since its independence. Shah made these observations while introducing new criminal code bills in the Rajya Sabha, outlining the government's commitment to addressing mob lynching as a serious offense. Under the proposed Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, designed to replace the existing Indian Penal Code, mob lynching has been designated as an offense punishable by the death penalty, Shah informed the Upper House.
In his address, Shah defended the government's actions, stating that the new legislation, Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, includes 21 additional offenses, with mob lynching being one of them. He emphasized that the government has taken concrete steps to address the issue, countering accusations of shielding perpetrators in such cases. Shah asserted that murder is a grave crime, and the government is determined to handle it sternly.
The Lok Sabha had already approved the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which aims to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita, replacing the Indian Evidence Act, on Wednesday. The Rajya Sabha followed suit by passing these bills on Thursday.
In the Rajya Sabha, Shah expressed that the overarching objective of these bills is to revamp the criminal justice system in India, establishing a system rooted in Indian principles. He critiqued the existing criminal laws as reflective of a colonial mindset, primarily focused on punishment rather than justice. Shah stressed that the essence of the new criminal laws is inherently Indian, marking a departure from colonial influences. According to him, these laws represent a significant shift, as they are crafted by India, for India, and within the Indian Parliament, reflecting a more indigenous and thoughtful approach to criminal justice.
Amit Shah emphasized that the proposed laws signify a new era in the criminal justice system, guided by a distinctly Indian ethos. The "soul, body, and thought" of these laws, as per Shah, are unequivocally Bharatiya, ushering in a transformative phase in the country's legal landscape.
