New Delhi, 22 August, The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs intends to start discussion on three important Bills at a week’s notice. But the opposition camp has objected to the Govt.’s haste in passing the three Bills – ‘The Indian Civil Code’, ‘The Indian Civil Defense Code’ and ‘The Indian Evidence Act’ – that fundamentally change the country’s legal system. After taking oath as MP for the third term in Rajya Sabha today, Derek O’Brien approached the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. BJP MP Brijlal, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee, wanted to start discussion on this bill from this week itself. But opposition MPs, including Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien and Digvijaya Singh of the Congress, claimed more time was needed before discussions could begin on such an important bill. In this matter also, the MPs of ‘India Alliance’ are moving ahead by coordinating among themselves.

The picture of this coordination of the opposition became more clear in the Parliament on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi arrived at the remembrance function on his photo in the Central Hall of the Parliament. On this occasion, Kapil Sibal, who left the Congress and became a Rajya Sabha MP with the support of the SP, was also present. At that time, Sonia called Jawhar Sircar, Derek O’Brien and Kapil Sibal by name and made them sit next to her. According to the sources, after this she discussed these three laws for a long time with Sibal, the law minister of the UPA Government. After being introduced in Parliament, Sibal termed the three bills as ‘unconstitutional’ and said that these three proposed laws are against the independence of the judiciary, it is clear that the Modi government does not want to maintain democracy in the country. At that time the Congress had also complained that the crime of sedition had not been removed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is not only bringing it back, but sedition has been defined in such a way that it can be misused arbitrarily. It is clear from Sibal’s long conversation with Sonia Gandhi on leaving the Congress that day that the opposition camp is uniting against these three laws.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah suddenly introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha on the very last day of the monsoon session. He passed three bills to replace Indian Penal Code with ‘Indian Justice Code’, ‘Indian Civil Protection Code’ to replace Criminal Penal Code and ‘Indian Evidence Act’ to replace Evidence Act. The Bills have been referred to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs. But now the BJP camp means Government wants the Standing Committee to submit its report on three bills in just three months. In that case, three bills can be passed in the winter session of the Parliament at the end of this year, before the next Lok Sabha elections. And that’s why a standing committee meeting was called to discuss this bill for three consecutive days from August 24. 

This is where the opposition MPs raised their voice. Trinamool Rajya Sabha party leader, Standing Committee member Derek O’Brien wrote to BJP MP & Committee Chairman Brijlal and said that a notice was sent on August 18, saying that there will be a meeting on three bills on August 24, 25 and 26, just a few days later. There is not much time left before sitting down to discuss such a far-reaching bill. So let the meeting be called in September instead of this month. The session of Parliament has just ended, as a result MPs have many programs and meetings in their own area or state. According to the MPs of the opposition camp, the Modi government is reversing the sedition law through these bills. They want to give huge powers to the police, as a result, a detailed discussion is needed. It is necessary to take the opinion of the concerned experts. Without doing that, BJP wants to win the seal of the Standing Committee as soon as possible. According to sources in the opposition camp, despite their objections, if the BJP wants to bulldoze 3 Bills by discussing it in the Standing Committee meeting this month, then the next strategy will be decided accordingly.