New Delhi | As the new criminal laws came into force on Monday amid protests from members of opposition parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked them to meet him to discuss their grievances and asserted that he is open to hearing their suggestions.
"I am ready to meet anyone who wants. We will meet and also review. But please do not do politics," he said at a press conference, replying to questions about protests from opposition leaders.
Shah rejected criticism that the three new criminal laws were draconian and repressive. He said the laws were modern, protect the rights of the victims, and fix accountability on police forces.
These are parochial and jaded arguments, aimed at misleading the people. These laws were passed after debates in both the Houses and scrutinised by a parliamentary committee, he said, adding that most of the suggestions given by the opposition members in the panel were accepted except those with political colour.
To a question about the protest by Tamil Nadu MPs against the Hindi names of the new laws, he said these statutes are available in Tamil language.
These laws will be available in all languages listed in the Constitution's eighth schedule, he added.
"If they have any opposition to the name, they can raise it by meeting me. Neither the Tamil Nadu chief minister nor these MPs have sought time to meet me," Shah said.
"I appeal to everyone whatever your grievances or if you believe these laws cannot serve people properly, then meet me. Boycotting laws is not the solution. There are many other ways to do politics," he said.
Asked if the government is open to changing the names of these laws, he said, "Let them meet me." The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) have replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.
In a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "After the political and moral shock in the elections, Modi ji and the BJP are pretending to respect the Constitution, but the truth is that the three laws of the criminal justice system which are being implemented from today, were passed forcibly after suspension of 146 MPs." "INDIA will no longer allow this 'bulldozer justice' to prevail in the parliamentary system," he asserted.
Shah said these laws were discussed for many hours in both Houses of Parliament and also by a parliamentary committee. The opposition MPs did not want to participate in the debate and that is why they forced the Chairs in the two Houses to suspend them, he said, adding that they could have still participated if they wanted.
