The implementation of the three new criminal laws replacing the older ones has opened a new battle front between the Mamata Banerjee Government and Governor CV Ananda Bose.

This after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set up a seven-member committee to review the central laws which came into force from July 1. The new laws are Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) which have replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act in that order.

Reminding that Bengal could not be allowed to turn into a “banana republic,” the Governor has asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to furnish before him a report on the objectives of the seven-member committee to review the three new central laws.

The Chief Minister has prepared a panel of experts led by a retired High Court Judge Justice Ashim Roy and includes Law Minister Malay Ghatak and Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya apart from academicians and lawyers.

While an official notification reads the committee shall have the power to engage academic experts, senior advocates, research assistants and other legal experts for seeking their views on the subject matter. It shall also have the power to carry out public consultation; the Governor reminded that “Bengal cannot be a state within a state or turned into a banana republic." Incidentally before the beginning of the new parliamentary session Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to defer the implementation of the new laws and urged the that the issue should be discussed in the House before the laws were implemented.

Constitution provides for three Lists on which the Centre and the State can make laws. These are Central List, State List and Concurrent List. It also provides that when there is any conflict between the central and the State laws the former will prevail. However the States have the authority to amend the central laws to suit respective situations.