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Landmark moment or Draconian? Amit Shah tables three bills in Lok Sabha to bar PM, CMs facing serious charges; Why is opposition questioning the move

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The Times Of Indiapublisher-detail-arrow
20th August, 2025 15:58 IST
NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha , including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill , 2025, which seeks to remove the Prime Minister, chief ministers or ministers facing allegations of corruption or serious offences if they remain in custody for 30 consecutive days.

Amit Shah also tabled the government of union territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bills were referred to a Joint Committee after the motion was adopted by the House.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill seeks to insert provisions for the removal of the Chief Minister or a minister in case of arrest or detention in custody on account of serious criminal charges.

The amendment states that a minister arrested for offences punishable with five years or more of imprisonment, and held in custody for 30 days, shall be removed from office by the Lieutenant Governor on the Chief Minister’s advice. If such advice is not tendered, the minister would cease to hold office automatically. In the case of a chief minister under similar circumstances, resignation would have to be tendered within 30 days, failing which the position would stand vacated.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Bhandari extending support for the bill said, "Landmark moment in Parliament today! union home minister Shri Amit Shah introduced the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 along with key reforms in Union Territories and J&K Reorganisation.

PM Modi government’s unwavering commitment to cleaner politics, stronger governance, and a future free from the shadow of criminalisation will usher in a new era of strong democratic values & morality."



Why the opposition is opposing the bill

Opposition leaders strongly criticised the bills, calling them unconstitutional, undemocratic and an attempt by the Centre to destabilise opposition-ruled state governments. They alleged the move undermines the separation of powers, bypasses the judiciary and turns India into a "police state". Several leaders also described it as a ploy to use central agencies to target political rivals.

Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "I stand to oppose the introduction of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025. This violates principle of separation of powers and undermines the right of the power to elect a Govt. It gives executive agencies a free run to become judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions...This Govt is hell-bent on creating a Police State. This will be a death nail unleashed on elected Govt. India Constitution is being amended to turn this country into a Police State..."



Speaking to ANI, Owaisi added, "The people have the right to hold elected governments accountable; this bill goes against that. Executive agencies will get a free run to become judge, jury, and executioner themselves. The Chief Minister is removed in the Assembly. This bill is unconstitutional. Who will arrest the Prime Minister?... All in all, the BJP government wants to make our country a police state through these bills...We will oppose them...The BJP is forgetting that power is not eternal."



Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said in a post on X, "I condemn the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, proposed to be tabled, by the Government of India today. I condemn it as a step towards something that is more than a super-Emergency, a step to end the democratic era of India for ever. This draconian step comes as a death knell for democracy and federalism in India...The Bill seeks to strip the judiciary of its Constitutional role...By vesting such powers in partisan hands, the Bill mutilates democracy...This is not reform. This is regression...The Bill must be resisted at any cost! Democracy must be saved at this moment!"



Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "I see it as a completely draconian thing, as it goes against everything. To say it as an anti-corruption measure is just to pull a veil across the eyes of the people...Tomorrow, you can put any kind of a case on a CM, have him arrested for 30 days without conviction, and he ceases to be a CM. It is absolutely anti-constitutional, undemocratic and very unfortunate."



N K Premachandran

Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N K Premachandran told ANI, "It is not at all applicable to the PM but to the CMs and Ministers. This is with an ulterior motive on the part of the Government to destabilise the non-BJP-ruled state governments and the CMs. We know that ED, IT and so many central investigating agencies are behind the non-BJP state governments. It is very easy to destabilise the opposition-ruled state governments using the ED. This cannot be accepted; this will be opposed."

ET Mohammed Basheer

Indian union Muslim League MP ET Mohammed Basheer said, "This is against the basic principles of law; there are bad intentions in this. We are going to discuss the pros and cons of the bill..."

Gaurav Gogoi

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi wrote on X, "The bills of Home Minister Amit Shah are nothing but a desperate attempt to divert the attention of the public away from the blistering Vote Adhikar Yatra of Shri Rahul Gandhi . First CSDS - BJP IT cell drama and now these bills. Clearly the winds of change are blowing in Bihar."



Mahua Moitra

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said, "Opposition predictions come true- Constitution being changed by BJP with only 240 MPs. New bill bypasses both federal structure & judiciary - Union govt can use ED CBI to arrest elected opposition CM on fake charges & sack them WITHOUT proven guilty by a court."



In a video statement, Moitra added, "The darkest days in Indian democracy. Late last night the BJP government which has only 240 employees. Please understand, it's not a majority government. Only 240 MPs hanging on with the help of two allies has introduced a bill late last night...This constitutional amendment bill seeks to just arrest any opposition chief minister...and within 30 days they can sack them and they can topple the government...We are officially in a state of super emergency...The BJP government has weaponized the agencies. They can use Enforcement Directorate or CBI to just arrest anybody...This is extremely dangerous. We are officially in a state of super emergency."

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi wrote on X, "What a vicious circle! No guidelines for arrest followed! Arrests of opposition leaders rampant and disproportionate. New proposed law removes incumbent #CM etc immly on arrest. Best way to destabilise opposition is to unleash biased central agencies to arrest oppo CMs and despite being unable to defeat them electorally, remove them by arbitrary arrests!! And no ruling party incumbent CM ever touched!!"

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