Netas across parties call for revisiting Arms Bill in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: A bill which seeks to restrict the number of firearms a person can possess to one from three was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to amend the six-decade old Arms Act, also has a provision on enhancing punishment for illegally possessing and making prohibited arms.

However, 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 supported most of the proposed amendments but had a reservations about restricting the number of firearms a licensee can possess to one.

The Chief Minister has also stated in the letter that only a very small fraction of crime was committed using licensed weapons.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur, while welcoming the overall intent of the bill, said, “I feel clause (3) of the bill needs a re-look as there are many people, farmers and others who live in isolated locations and therefore need more than one gun for self-protection. Further, there are inherited guns which are heritage items and art pieces and hardly used as weapons as their ammunitions are not available anymore.”