Five months after the three new criminal laws came into existence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the statutes will enforce the letter and spirit of the Constitution in real terms.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act were introduced after the first freedom struggle of 1857. They were meant to enslave Indians. But now every poor person will have faith that the law of the country is a guarantee of equality, PM Modi said in Chandigarh after watching a live demonstration of how the laws will be enforced.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam - the three laws that have replaced IPC, CrPC and IEA, will strengthen the spirit of ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’, which is the foundation of democracy, Modi said.

Modi remarked that the idea and purpose of the British-era laws was to punish Indians and enslave them. Despite periodic changes in the laws, their character remained the same and this mindset of slavery impacted India’s progress to a great extent, he emphasised.

“Citizen First is the basic mantra of Nyay Sanhita”, exclaimed Modi. These laws are protectors of civil rights and the basis of ‘ease of justice’.

“Rules and laws are effective only when they are relevant to the times”, said Modi to justify the new criminal justice system. The methods of crime and criminals had changed which necessitated the introduction of new modern laws, he pointed out.

He expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court, High Courts - Punjab and Haryana High Court, in particular, and all the Judges for their concerted efforts towards the new Nyay Sanhita.

The PM was confident that this Nyay Sanhita of India, made with everyone’s cooperation, would prove to be a milestone in India’s judicial journey.