Chandigarh : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday congratulated Chandigarh,which became the first in the country to fully implement the landmark three criminal laws in the country, and said that the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) would be implemented fully across the country within 3 years too.
Addressing a program to dedicate the three new criminal laws to the nation here today, Amit Shah termed it a "golden day for the Indian criminal justice system." "Today is a golden day for the Indian criminal justice system - as today - Chandigarh has become the first unit to fully implement all the three new criminal laws. police, jail, judiciary, prosecution, and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), all of these are working to completely implement the new laws," Shah said.
He said the previous criminal laws, namely the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Evidence Act as laws were only meant for the protection of the British.
"Earlier laws were 160 years old - they were made in the British parliament, they were more for the protection of British rule and not for the people. The laws that PM Modi has brought are made by Indians," he said.
The new laws are meant to deliver justice, not punishment, he said, "These laws have no place for punishment but justice. It will be implemented in the entire country within three years," he said.
He also mentioned how a new post has been created, the 'Director of Prosecution' to tackle corruption, and how the term sedition has been removed from the laws. "To tackle and reduce corruption, a new post has been created which is Director of Prosecution. Also, the term "rajdroh" (sedition) has been replaced by "deshdroh" (treason) in the laws. Till now more than 11 lakh FIRs have been registered. Within just 4 months, 9,500 cases have received their judgement," Shah said during the program.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the same event highlighted that the idea and purpose of old criminal laws, designed by British, was to punish Indians and keep them enslaved whereas the Nyaya Sanhita strengthens the spirit of basis of democracy - "Of the People, By the People, For the People."
"In 1947, when our country became independent after centuries of slavery, after the wait of generations, after the sacrifices of the people, when the dawn of independence came, what kind of dreams there were, what kind of enthusiasm there was in the country. The countrymen thought that since the British had left, they would also be freed from the British laws. These laws were the means of the British oppression and exploitation," PM Modi said.
"The idea and purpose of these laws was to punish Indians and keep them enslaved. Unfortunately, for decades after independence, our laws revolved around the same penal code and penal mindset, which was used by treating the citizens as slaves. Small changes were made at times, but the character remains intact. Why we should continue with laws in the independent country that were made for slaves," the Prime Minister said..
Highlighting the time and efforts involved in the making of the three new criminal laws, the PM said that these laws contain suggestions and guidance from various Chief Justices of India, Chief Justices of High Court, Supreme Court, 16 High Courts, Judicial Academics, several law institutes, people from civil society, etc.
The new criminal laws, which were implemented nationwide on July 1, 2024, aim to make India's legal system more transparent, efficient, and adaptable to the needs of contemporary society.