(Video) Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) The Big Picture: The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Topic: The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Guest:

Anil Choudhary, (Former Secretary, Internal Security, Ministry of Home)
Desh Ratan Nigam, (Advocate Supreme Court)
Pal Singh, (Former IG, Punjab Police)
Chakshu Roy, (Head of Outreach, PRS Legislative Research)

Topic Description:

Last week, Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend the Arms Act, 1959 by reducing the number of firearms allowed per person from the current three, to just one. It also proposes new categories of offences and an increase in the penalty for certain offences. The proposed capping of firearms has met with resistance from both ruling and opposition leaders amid reports of some MPs, including ex-royals, trying to persuade the government to refer the bill to a House committee. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has argued that if some states are keen to reduce the number of weapons, they may be allowed to do so without prejudice to the other states. The Punjab government is said to support most of the proposed amendments in the bill but has reservations about restricting the number of firearms a licensee can possess to one.