Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday (PTI)

Parliament Winter Session 2023, Day 17 Live Updates: Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed three amended criminal bills in a bid to overhaul the country’s criminal justice system by replacing colonial-era laws. The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 will replace the the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 (originally enacted in 1898), and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha passed the Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke on the criminal bills and majority of MPs present in the Lower House voted in favour of the bills by voice vote. Referring to IPC, CrPc, Indian Evidence Act, Shah said, “New criminal law bills will free people from colonial mindset..The three laws were made during the time of English..Till the laws are not repealed, the UK laws will continue in the country… Her Majesty, London Gazette, British Crown and barrister terms continue to be used in India because of the laws.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, two MPs from Kerala namely – Thomas Chazhikadan and AM Arif were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, taking the total number of suspensions in both Houses to 143. Jagdeep Dhankar, vice-president said he would not tolerate any insult to Parliament and the post of vice-president while expressing deep anguish over a TMC MP mimicking him in the parliament complex. “You can insult Jagdeep Dhankar all you want but not the Vice President of India,” he said. Dhankhar said that he would not tolerate it if the dignity of his office was lowered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called Dhankhar expressing great pain over the “abject theatrics” of some MPs in the Parliament complex yesterday.