BRS Working President KTR has issued an open letter demanding the Telangana state government and the ruling Congress Party to publicly declare their positions on the implementation of new criminal laws. In his open letter, KTR highlighted that the draconian laws, which have elicited substantial opposition from diverse groups, are being condemned for encroaching upon fundamental civil rights and personal freedoms. He pointed out that critics fear these laws could potentially establish a police state within the nation.
KTR points out that Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have already opposed these laws and emphasizes that the Telangana state government must take a clear stance to uphold the State’s historical reputation as a champion of civil rights. He insists that the Telangana government must clarify whether it will implement these new criminal laws as is or introduce amendments, following the examples set by other states.
KTR demands immediate action from Revanth Reddy’s Congress government, asking them to send a letter to the central government demanding amendments to the autocratic sections of these new laws. He also calls for a resolution in the upcoming assembly session to be sent to the central government. Failure to do so, KTR warns, will risk the State government being perceived as authoritarian and anti-people.
The new criminal laws, which 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), have been in effect nationwide since July 1. Numerous provisions and sections of these laws are viewed as serious violations of basic civil rights and individual freedoms. Civil rights activists and legal experts argue that these laws disproportionately favor the police and the government, suppressing legitimate protests and agitations.
Several key issues highlighted by critics include 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.
The new laws have the potential to usher in a police state, KTR remarked. 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 lead to an even more oppressive environment in Telangana, he added.
BRS Working President underscores the need for extensive discussion on these new laws, pressing the Telangana state government and the ruling Congress party to clarify their positions. The Congress party at the national level has already expressed its opposition to these dangerous laws, but the local Congress government and party has not yet spoken a word on this issue. He insists that CM Revanth Reddy should publicly declare his stance, similar to other state Chief Ministers, and take immediate action to address the autocratic sections of these new laws.
KTR demands 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.