Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra got here in assist of truckers who’re protesting the brand new penal provisions associated to hit-and-run instances. In a publish on X, previously Twitter, she famous the Centre should cease making legal guidelines with out session.
In her publish, Ms. Gandhi stated, “Drivers are the wheels of our economy and progress. They work with very little money, face various hardships and lead a tough lifestyle. The law and system should be humane towards them.” “Every life is precious. It is the duty of the government to protect everyone. The purpose of the law is to make the life of the common person easy, safe and fair and not to push millions of people towards oppression, extortion, imprisonment and financial bankruptcy,” she stated.
The work of constructing Tughlaqi legal guidelines unilaterally, with out session and with out involving the Opposition, ought to cease, Ms. Gandhi asserted. “Agricultural law against farmers. Labor law against workers. Citizenship law against citizens. Why does this government always make laws against the people?” she requested in one other publish.
Some truck, bus, and tanker operators went on a strike towards the brand new provisions which name for stringent jail and high quality rules hit-and-run instances underneath the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on January 1. The BNS prescribes a most of punishment of 10 years or ₹7 lakh high quality for drivers who trigger a severe highway accident by negligent driving after which run away with out informing the police or another authorities in instances of rash and negligent driving, whereas the punishment for such instances was two years within the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Centre held talks with the protesting truckers and on Jan. 2, with Union Residence Secretary Ajay Bhalla assuring truckers that any choice on this provision will likely be taken solely after session with the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC). PTI has reported that AIMTC representatives informed reporters that they won’t permit the brand new legal guidelines to be carried out after they met the Residence Secretary. “This law has not been implemented yet…we will not allow these laws to be implemented,” AIMTC chairman-organising committee Bal Mankit Singh stated. He requested truckers to name off the agitation.
Nonetheless, panic had set in throughout India’s northern, western, and central States as truckers stayed off the roads on Jan. 2. Numerous experiences recommend that gasoline provide was in brief provide in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab on Jan 2. Individuals in Mumbai, Nagpur and Hyderabad made a beeline to gasoline stations. Chandigarh administration imposed momentary restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel at gasoline stations within the Union Territory. There have been experiences of the availability of greens was disrupted in New Delhi.
The protest had additionally turned violent in Rajasthan, the place a mob within the Kekri district burnt a police car and pelted stones at safety personnel, leaving three injured, in line with the police. The incident occurred when a mob began to pelt stones at a police staff attempting to clear a visitors jam on the Ajmer-Bhilwara freeway.