West Bengal: LoP Suvendu Adhikari Slams CM Mamata Banerjee's Committee On New Criminal Laws As 'Illegal' And 'Violative'

Kolkata: A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had constituted a committee to review the three new criminal laws, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday had slammed the state government and said that the move is ‘illegal but is also violative of the Federal Structure as it challenges the authority of the Parliament of India and the President of India.’

Taking to X, Adhikari said, “Every aspect of the new laws had been discussed extensively with different stakeholders for almost four years. Very few laws in independent India had been discussed at such length. Both the Upper and the Lower House of the Parliament passed these Bills and the Hon’ble President of India; Smt. Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the three Criminal Code bills on December 25, 2023. The Union Home Ministry on February 24th issued notifications declaring July 1, 2024, as the date on which the provisions of the three laws will come into force.”

“A State Govt has no right and authority to review a Law, once passed by the Parliament. Mamata Banerjee is challenging the norms well established by the Constitution of India. As a head of a provincial Govt she is simply exceeding her limits. I urge the Constitutional Authorities to nip this evil attempt in the bud,” further read the post.

On Wednesday Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had constituted a seven members committee that will review the three new criminal laws. The committee is formed under the state Home Department, will be headed by Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Roy and includes state Law Minister Malay Ghatak and Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.

It can be recalled that on June 21 Mamata had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking further discussion on the three new laws and also urged him to defer the implementation of the same.