Defer rollout of three criminal laws: Mamata Banerjee to PM Modi

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to defer the implementation of the three criminal laws, saying they should once again undergo parliamentary review for both ethical and practical reasons.

The three laws will come into effect on July 1.

The TMC chief alleged that the laws to replace IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act were “passed hurriedly”.

In the letter dated June 20, Banerjee said that the three bills were passed in Lok Sabha in an “authoritarian manner” at a time when 100 MPs had been suspended and with absolutely no debate.

She stressed on having a fresh review of the laws by Parliament.

Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was a member of the parliamentary standing committee that examined the bills, met her on Thursday and discussed the issue.

Apart from Chidambaram, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and DMK’s N R Elango had given dissent notes to the standing committee on the three bills.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam Act, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Act will replace The Indian Penal Code of 1860, The Indian Evidence Act of 1872, and The Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, respectively.