Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP P Wilson on Friday flagged the fact that the names of all the three new bills introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, were in Hindi. The three new bills that aims to replace British-era criminal laws were introduced in the lower house of the parliament on Friday and will be sent to a panel for scrutiny.
MP Wilson said that the nomenclature was ‘yet another form of Hindi imposition’. The three bills have been named Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023 will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.
MP Wilson cited Article 348 of the Constitution of India, where it has been stated ‘All Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be moved in either House of Parliament or in the House or either House of the Legislature of a State, shall be in the English language’
“South Indian lawyers are going to spend most of the time in courts trying to pronounce these names.” MP Wilson noted.
“Earlier, when the Union Government tried to introduce a legislation with a Hindi name in Parliament, I had opposed the same & the Hon. Union Finance Minister had clarified that the name of the Bill was only in English but the Hindi portion should have been in brackets.” MP Wilson added.
Not just MP Wilson, several DMK leaders ridiculed the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the nomenclature of three bills moved to replace existing criminal laws, saying it showed how much the BJP "is afraid of 'India'".
Senior DMK leader and party spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the word 'Bharatiya' was being used in the bills instead of India as "they are afraid of the term."
"They have changed the name of the bills as 'Bharatiya' instead of 'India'. So how much they are afraid of India; they stand exposed," Elangovan told news agency PTI.
"They are afraid of the term 'India' because the name was taken by opposition parties. These are all very immature...exhibits the immaturity of this government," he said.
The Opposition INDIA bloc comprises of the Congress, DMK, Left parties, TMC and AAP, among others, was named Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) recently.
Elangovan, a former MP, also questioned the need for tabling the bills on the last day of the session. ".....why should they introduce these bills and what they will do is rake up some trouble there. When the opposition parties walk out, there will be no voting; they will pass it," he charged. He termed the move "anti-democratic".
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