Tamil Nadu Lawyers Stage Protest Against Three Bills To Revamp Criminal Laws

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: The Federation of Bar Association of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry held a one-day hunger strike protest at Thiruvallur District Court campus against the government’s three bills to replace all three laws of the IPC, CRPC and Evidence Act.

More than a hundred Bar Federation Members and lawyers participated in the protest at Thiruvallur District Court Campus.

The demand of the bar association was that the name of the bills or the language used in it should be in English not in Hindi or Sanskrit.

The federation has already written a letter to the Parliamentary Standing Committee regarding their objection towards the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023.

The Hunger strike protest was headed by Karur N. Marappan, chairman of the Federation of Bar Association of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Earlier, on August 11, Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three bills on the last day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

While the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 seeks to replace IPC 1860, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 seeks to replace the Criminal Procedure Code and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 will replace the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

DMK Member of Rajya Sabha P Wilson, also accused the central government of forcing Hindi throughout India by introducing the three Bills in Hindi.

“I request that the names of the three bills be changed to English. Mandatory Hindi should not be implemented, as it means imposing and is unconstitutional,” Wilson said.
Tamil Nadu CM M.K Stalin also took to X and said “The audacious attempt by the Union BJP Government to tamper with the essence of India’s diversity through a sweeping overhaul – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill – reeks of linguistic imperialism.

This is an affront to the very foundation of INDIA’s unity. BJP and Prime Minister Modi have no moral right to even utter the word Tamil hereafter.”