What Is Honour Of Dead Body Bill 2023, Passed By Rajasthan Govt?

The Rajasthan government recently passed ‘The Rajasthan Honour of Dead Body Bill, 2023,’ which aims to curb protests with dead bodies and specifies punishments for such actions.

According to the bill, if the victim’s family does not claim the body, they could face imprisonment for up to one year along with a fine.

Additionally, protesting with a dead body is now illegal in the state, and offenders may face imprisonment for up to five years.

The bill gives the district administration the authority to seize and perform the last rites of unclaimed bodies if the family refuses to do so. It also introduces varying levels of punishment for different scenarios.

For instance, if someone not related to the victim’s family participates in a protest with the body, they may receive imprisonment for six months to five years, along with a fine.

The BJP, the opposition party, has criticized the bill, comparing it to controversial laws like the Defence of India Act (DIR) and Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the emergency.

They argue that the bill curtails the right to protest and could be used to suppress legitimate demands for justice and compensation.

Some BJP leaders have called for the ‘last rites’ of the Congress government in Rajasthan, expressing their opposition to the law.

Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to address the issue of prolonged protests with dead bodies, where families demand compensation or justice for the deceased.

They claim that such protests have been on the rise in recent years, leading to a significant number of police cases.

However, some lawmakers, particularly from tribal communities, have raised concerns about the bill. They argue that the law does not consider tribal customs and traditions, where issues related to such deaths are typically resolved through their own motanna custom. They fear that the bill may lead to more problems and negatively impact their communities.

The Honour Of Dead Body Bill says that if someone protests by keeping the dead body on the road for justice, then s/he will be jailed for 2 years.

If a political leader supports someone for this, then s/he will be jailed for 5 years. Plus, if the relatives refuse to take the dead body, they will be jailed for 1 year.

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The BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Rajasthan government is making cruel laws to crush the fight for the rights of the people. The time has come for the ‘last rites’ of the Congress government in Rajasthan.”