Hyderabad: BRS Working President, KT Rama Rao (KTR), has called on the Telangana state government and the ruling Congress Party to publicly state their positions on the new criminal laws.
In an open letter, KTR criticized these new laws, which have faced substantial opposition from various groups. He noted that critics believe these laws threaten fundamental civil rights and personal freedoms, potentially turning the nation into a police state.
KTR highlighted that Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have already opposed these laws. He stressed that Telangana’s government must take a clear stand to maintain its historical reputation as a defender of civil rights. He urged the state government to clarify whether it will implement these new criminal laws as they are or introduce amendments, following the examples set by other states.
KTR demanded immediate action from Revanth Reddy’s Congress government. He asked them to send a letter to the central government requesting amendments to the autocratic sections of these new laws. He also called for a resolution in the upcoming assembly session to be sent to the central government. He warned that failure to act would risk the State government being seen as authoritarian and anti-people.
The new criminal laws have replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act (IEA) with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). These laws have been in effect nationwide since July 1. Many provisions and sections of these laws are seen as serious violations of basic civil rights and individual freedoms. Civil rights activists and legal experts argue that these laws give excessive power to the police and the government, suppressing legitimate protests and agitations.
Critics have highlighted several key issues with the new laws:
– Peaceful protests against government actions being criminalized.
– Extension of police custody from 15 days to 90 days.
– Authority granted to the police to seize property without court permission.
– Discretionary powers given to investigative agencies for prosecuting organized crimes.
– Ambiguous provisions in laws concerning cybercrimes, hacking, and privacy.
The new laws have already led to confusion, as cases must be tried under different laws depending on when they were filed. The reintroduction of the sedition law as “treason” is particularly concerning, as it could be used to suppress criticism of government policies.
KTR remarked that these new laws could lead to a police state. He noted that for the past seven months, the state government has been using the police extensively to suppress protests by students, youth, and social media activists. Under these new laws, such actions could create an even more oppressive environment in Telangana.
KTR emphasized the need for extensive discussion on these new laws, urging the Telangana state government and the ruling Congress party to clarify their positions. The national Congress party has already expressed its opposition to these dangerous laws, but the local Congress government has remained silent on this issue. He insisted that CM Revanth Reddy should publicly declare his stance and take immediate action to address the autocratic sections of these new laws.
KTR demanded that the Congress party, which came to power promising democratic governance, must fulfill its promise by opposing these dangerous laws at the state level and taking necessary actions to protect civil rights.
