South Goa Congress MPs criticize approval of controversial criminal law bills

• The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill face criticism for undemocratic swift approval, lack of debate
• The substitution of 'Indian' with 'Bharatiya' and the broader definition of acts endangering the country's sovereignty raises concerns among South Goa Congress MPs
• The bills, aimed at stringent punishment for crimes against women and defining organized crime, terrorism, and mob lynching

Three criminal law reform bills introduced in the Monsoon Session by Home Minister Amit Shah have sparked controversy as South Goa Congress MPs, Francisco Sardinha and Goa opposition leader Yuri Alemao, slam the hasty approval process.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ('New Penal Bill'), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 ('New Procedure Bill'), and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 ('New Evidence Bill') faced criticism for setting a bad precedent with the President signing them swiftly without a debate, particularly when 145 Opposition MPs were suspended from Parliament.

The changes in terminology, the substitution of 'Indian' with 'Bharatiya,' and the vague definition of acts endangering the sovereignty of the country raise concerns, as sedition-like actions could now be broadly penalized.