Raheem Khan, IndiaTomorrow.net,
Jaipur, Oct 26: Demanding the withdrawal of a controversial ordinance, dubbed as a move to shield corrupt officials and curb free press, leaders from various civil organizations held a protest demonstration outside the state Assembly here on Wednesday.
Holding placards and banners, the protesters were shouting slogans against the ordinance and the state BJP government.
“This ordinance and the proposed bill is anti-people, attacks the freedom of people, Judiciary and media. It is against the democracy. It shows the fascist mentality of the Rajasthan government,” said civil leaders in their speeches.
Among the eminent speakers were Sawai Singh (state president, FDCA), Kavita Srivastava (state president, PUCL), Nikhil Dey (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan) and Mohammad Salim Engineer (Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind).
Kavita Srivastava of PUCL (2nd from left in front row) addressing the protesters outside Rajasthan Assembly in Jaipur on 25 Oct 2017.
The protest was jointly organized by various civil organizations including PUCL, FDCA, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
At the end of the demonstration, the civil leaders submitted a memorandum to the office of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Meanwhile, facing huge condemnation from political parties and civil groups, the state government has reportedly sent the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill to a committee of the Assembly, eventually putting it in a cold storage.
The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 was made and promulgated by Governor Kalyan Singh on 6th Sep 2017 and it is reportedly going to be presented in the Assembly for approval this coming Monday.
The ordinance barred magistrates from ordering probe against government officials before prosecution is sanctioned against them.
Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hindi, addressing the protesters outside Rajasthan Assembly in Jaipur on 25 Oct 2017.
“No Magistrate shall order an investigation nor will any investigation be conducted against a person, who is or was a Judge or a Magistrate or a public servant, as defined under any other law for the time being in force, in respect of the act done by them while acting or purporting to act in discharge of their official duties,” reads the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, sanctioning authority shall ordinarily take a decision within 180 days from the date of the receipt of the proposal for sanction. If the sanctioning authority fails to issue prosecution sanction within this period, the prosecution sanction under section shall be deemed to have been issued.
The ordinance also has provision to punish journalists or anyone who disclosed identity of the officials before prosecution sanction.
“No one shall print or publish or publicize in any manner the name, address, photograph, family details or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of a Judge or Magistrate or a public servant against whom any proceeding under this section is pending, until the sanction as aforesaid has been or deemed to have been issued,” reads the ordinance.
If anyone did so, he or she could be jailed for two years.
“Whoever contravenes the provisions of fourth proviso of sub-section (3) of section 156, and fourth proviso of sub-section (1) of section 190, of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine.”
