K'taka opposes new laws, says Centre didn't consider suggestions

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Karnataka government on Monday opposed the three new criminal laws, which came into force on July 1, saying the Centre did not take its suggestions into consideration.

The three laws Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replacing Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act should have been implemented by the BJP government during its previous tenure itself and not now, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said in a press conference.

The Minister recalled that in 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrote to CM Siddaramaiah asking him to review and give suggestions on these laws. Based on the Chief Minister's direction, an expert committee was formed. The panel submitted a report to Siddaramaiah, which was forwarded to Shah.

We gave a total of 23 suggestions but the central government did not take any of it seriously. No opinion of ours is included in it. Now, the new codes have been duly implemented.

“These three laws have been promulgated ignoring public opinion and the suggestion of the legal luminaries. Thus, our government opposes these three laws."

According to Patil, the new penal codes have more disadvantages than advantages along with some confusing amendments.He also charged that the Centre has no moral right to implement the three laws now.

“The three laws have been changed and new laws have been implemented. Any government that makes a law has the right to enforce it during its tenure. However, it is unethical to implement after the end of the government's tenure,” Patil said.

“It's not right to implement the decision made by the cabinet of the previous government now. They had the right to enforce it in their previous term," he said.