The Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill prohibiting protests by relatives of deceased persons, sitting with the bodies, on roads or public places and demanding compensation or jobs. All of this will become an offence , punishable with imprisonment of up to five years.
The Rajasthan Honour of Dead Body Bill, 2023, also seeks to ensure that every dead person has the right to last rites with dignity. Replying to the debate on the Bill in the Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal said the need for introducing the legislation had arisen because of an increase in the number of protests being held with bodies and protesters pressing for “unjustified demands”.
These protests, staged by relatives of the deceased following unnatural deaths, are often supported by political parties and social and community organisations. Before the Bill was passed by voice vote in the House, Mr. Dhariwal said there was no provision in the existing laws to take action against those who were “using the corpses” to put pressure on the government and the authorities.
