New Delhi | Shiroman Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday flagged the absence of a majority of opposition members in the Lok Sabha on day the House was discussing three key proposed criminal laws, saying key bills should not be passed in such a manner.
As many as 97 opposition Lok Sabha members have ben suspended from the House since December 14 for displaying placards and disrupting proceedings.
She also referred to the youth of Punjab getting emotional and taking steps during the militancy period in the state, and said the two men who jumped inside the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 raised the issue of their unemployment, Manipur and farmers.
Ramesh Bidhuri (BJP) also referred to the Parliament security breach, saying people are being misled on the incident.
He said the incident is being discussed on social media and references are being made to Bhagat Singh. He said when Bhagat Singh entered Parliament (then Central Legislative Assembly), India was under British rule.
"But we live in a democracy...people elect their representatives and bring them to Parliament. It was not the case when Britishers were here," he said.
"There are elections every five years, if you are not happy then you have the option to change the government," he said.
While participating in the debate on the three bills, Badal said police has been given arbitrary powers with no checks and balances which are against liberty and dissent.
"... and here is a living example that such an important bill is being discussed which should be in a fair and transparent manner with everybody allowed to air their views and here there is only the ruling party and a handful of us opposition people ... This is not the way for such an important bill to be passed," she said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three redrafted bills -- the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSB) -- last week and the Lok Sabha on Tuesday took them up for a debate for their consideration and passage.
The proposed legislations seek to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.