Enactment of new criminal laws a waste exercise: Chidambaram; BJP hits back

SENIOR Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the exercise of enactment of the three new criminal laws was a "waste" and has only created confusion in the administration of justice among judges, lawyers and the police.

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Chidambaram also claimed the new Acts are an overwhelmingly 'cut and paste' exercise, with a few new provisions added.

His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the enactment of the three criminal laws as the biggest reform in independent India and said they will make the judicial process not only affordable and accessible but also simpler, time-bound and transparent.

Slamming Chidambaram over his remarks, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said in a post on X, "It is truly remarkable how someone who has served as both Finance Minister and Home Minister still doesn't have a single transformative piece of legislation to his name."

"Your legacy? Being accused of bugging the office of the late Pranab Mukherjee and writing dissent notes as a member of the opposition. That is the sum total of your contribution to Indian governance," Malviya added.