Hints of Jharkhand Mob Lynching Bill Reintroduction Stirs Political Differences

BJP criticises Hemant Government over focus on Mob Lynching Bill reintroduction and ignoring the issue of religious conversions.

RANCHI – The recent decision of the Jharkhand government to reintroduce the Mob Lynching Bill has drawn sharp criticism from BJP state president Babulal Marandi.

This move seems set to ignite another fierce political face-off in the state.

Marandi attacked Chief Minister Hemant Soren for deciding to reintroduce the bill, despite the governor returning the previous bill.

Marandi took to Twitter, questioning why Soren is persistently pushing for the bill and suggesting that if the Chief Minister has any integrity, he should introduce a bill to stop religious conversions instead.

Politician’s Take on Mob Lynching Bill

Marandi further stated that ‘Love Jihad’ is causing widespread devastation in Jharkhand, particularly affecting the Santhal Parganas and the Santal community.

He challenged Soren to address this issue, implying that if the Chief Minister doesn’t, it would upset his supporters.

Marandi assured that he would not ignore this matter and if he assumes power, he will teach a lesson to those involved.

The Jharkhand government, however, maintains that the escalating violence and murders by uncontrolled mobs is a grave issue.

The government is reintroducing the bill to curb these mob lynchings and to bring the culprits to justice.

In December 2021, the Prevention of Mob Violence and Prevention of Mob Lynching Bill-2021 was passed in the Vidhan Sabha’s winter session, only to be returned by Governor Ramesh Bais in March 2022 due to some objections.

The Reintroduction of Mob Lynching Bill

Now, the government is preparing to reintroduce the bill after addressing the objections raised by the Governor.

The Mob Lynching Bill is expected to be presented in the Vidhan Sabha’s monsoon session under a new name, the Prevention of Mob Violence/Murder Bill-2023, after being approved by the cabinet.

One of the Governor’s primary objections was the inconsistency between the Hindi and English versions of the Bill, particularly in the section about the witness protection scheme.

He also took issue with the bill’s definition of a mob, suggesting that a group of two or more people could not be classified as a disorderly crowd.

Governor’s Objections and Provisions in the Bill

The previous Mob Lynching Prevention Bill-2021 included provisions for life imprisonment and fines up to 25 lakhs for the guilty.

It proposed rigorous life imprisonment of three years and property seizure for the guilty, along with a 25 lakhs fine.

The bill also called for punishments ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment for severe injuries, and a three-year sentence for those inciting the mob.

The bill also aimed to provide compensation to the victims’ families and ensure free medical treatment for the victims.

It was opposed by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and returned by the governor due to inconsistencies and objections to the definition of a mob.

The Role of Governor and BJP in the Bill

On December 12 last year, the Jharkhand assembly passed the “Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021” during the winter session.

However, Governor Ramesh Bais returned the bill with suggestions, including reconsidering the definition of ‘mob’.

The bill was opposed by the BJP in its current form, demanding its review by a select committee.

The BJP had several objections, primarily concerning the definition of a mob.

Despite the opposition, the assembly passed the bill and sent it to the governor for approval.

Further Developments and the State’s Stand

In February, members of the tribal community requested the governor not to approve the proposed law, arguing that it would undermine the special provisions in place for the tribal community by the Centre and state government.

The Governor returned the bill with two significant recommendations.

One was the mismatch between the Hindi and English versions of the bill, which needs rectification to maintain symmetry in both versions.

The second recommendation was to reconsider the definition of a mob in the bill.

The state government has been asked to revisit the definition.

The state government’s stand on the recommendations and whether it would consider the suggestions to bring amendments in the ongoing budget session of the Jharkhand assembly remains unclear.

Earlier, Jharkhand’s parliamentary affairs minister, Alamgir Alam, informed the legislative assembly that the government was planning to establish fast-track courts in the state for a speedy trial of mob-lynching cases.

He had revealed that the state recorded 46 cases of mob-lynching between 2016 and 2021.

In 11 such cases, 51 accused were convicted to life imprisonment after completion of the trial.