The Facts
On Friday, India's federal government presented three bills to repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, many of which were implemented during the British rule.
The proposed changes deal with pressing issues, including imposing the death penalty for mob lynching and sexual assault on minors as well as a 20-year minimum sentence for gang rape.
The Spin
Narrative A
Minister Shah is trying to kill multiple birds with one stone. While ridding India of any remnants of colonialism, these bills will also protect women and children from forced sexual relationships. PM Modi's government believes in India's rightful status as a sovereign country, which is why he's working to protect his people from both their enslaved past and modern-day extremism.
Narrative B
While the official wording of the old British laws may have been changed in the proposed bills, Modi's government isn't actually repealing the sedition act. In fact, it is broadening the definition of seditious words to include those with the so-called tendency to incite violence or cause public disorder. The British may not be in charge any longer, but Modi has picked up the authoritarian sword and wielded it for himself.
