NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the opposition of resisting the proposed bills on removing tainted ministers, in order to "remain outside the reach of law".
In a social media post on X, Shah hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing a constitutional amendment which provide for the removal of a prime minister, Union minister, chief minister or state/UT minister if they are arrested or kept in custody on serious criminal charges for 30 consecutive days.
"On one hand, Prime Minister Shri Narendra ji has introduced a constitutional amendment to bring himself within the ambit of the law, while on the other hand, the entire opposition, led by Congress, has opposed it to remain outside the law’s reach, run governments from jail, and cling to power," the home minister said.
Shah also recalled when the Indira government introduced a constitutional amendment to grant prime ministers such a privilege that no legal action could be taken against them.
"The nation also remembers the time when, in this very esteemed House, the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi ji, through Constitutional Amendment No. 39, granted the Prime Minister such a privilege that no legal action could be taken against them," he added.
"Seeing the Modi government's commitment against political corruption in the country and the public's outrage, today I introduced a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament with the consent of the Lok Sabha Speaker, which ensures that important constitutional posts, such as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and ministers of the central and state governments, cannot run the government while in jail," he added.
Shah said that the objective of the three bills is to "raise the declining level of morality in public life" and bring integrity to politics.
"No person, while arrested and in jail, can govern as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or a minister of the central or state government," Shah said.
"When the Constitution was framed, our Constitution makers could not have imagined that in the future, there would be political figures who would not resign on moral grounds before being arrested. In recent years, an astonishing situation has arisen in the country where Chief Ministers or ministers have continued to run the government immorally from jail without resigning," he said.
"This bill also includes a provision that allows an accused politician to seek bail from the court within 30 days of arrest. If they fail to obtain bail within 30 days, on the 31st day, either the Prime Minister at the central level or the Chief Ministers in the states will remove them from their posts, or they will automatically become legally ineligible to perform their duties. If such a leader is granted bail after the legal process, they may resume their position," he further said.
Earlier in the day, Amit Shah tabled the One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The bills were referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament consisting of 21 members of the Lok Sabha, to be nominated by the Speaker, and 10 members of the Rajya Sabha, to be nominated by the Deputy Chairman. Several opposition MPs opposed the bills amid loud sloganeering, prompting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 3 pm.
Opposing the bills, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "I stand to oppose the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025. This violates the principle of separation of powers and undermines the right of the people to elect a government. It gives executive agencies a free hand to act as judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions."
In a social media post on X, Shah hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing a constitutional amendment which provide for the removal of a prime minister, Union minister, chief minister or state/UT minister if they are arrested or kept in custody on serious criminal charges for 30 consecutive days.
On one hand, PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has introduced a constitutional amendment to bring himself into the ambit of law. On the other hand, under the leadership of Congress, the entire opposition has opposed it in order to remain above the law, run governments from jail, and cling…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 20, 2025
"On one hand, Prime Minister Shri Narendra ji has introduced a constitutional amendment to bring himself within the ambit of the law, while on the other hand, the entire opposition, led by Congress, has opposed it to remain outside the law’s reach, run governments from jail, and cling to power," the home minister said.
Shah also recalled when the Indira government introduced a constitutional amendment to grant prime ministers such a privilege that no legal action could be taken against them.
"The nation also remembers the time when, in this very esteemed House, the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi ji, through Constitutional Amendment No. 39, granted the Prime Minister such a privilege that no legal action could be taken against them," he added.
"Seeing the Modi government's commitment against political corruption in the country and the public's outrage, today I introduced a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament with the consent of the Lok Sabha Speaker, which ensures that important constitutional posts, such as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and ministers of the central and state governments, cannot run the government while in jail," he added.
Shah said that the objective of the three bills is to "raise the declining level of morality in public life" and bring integrity to politics.
On account of the Modi government's commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace, today with the Lok Sabha speaker's permission, I tabled constitutional amendment bills that will prevent people from holding important…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 20, 2025
"No person, while arrested and in jail, can govern as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or a minister of the central or state government," Shah said.
"When the Constitution was framed, our Constitution makers could not have imagined that in the future, there would be political figures who would not resign on moral grounds before being arrested. In recent years, an astonishing situation has arisen in the country where Chief Ministers or ministers have continued to run the government immorally from jail without resigning," he said.
"This bill also includes a provision that allows an accused politician to seek bail from the court within 30 days of arrest. If they fail to obtain bail within 30 days, on the 31st day, either the Prime Minister at the central level or the Chief Ministers in the states will remove them from their posts, or they will automatically become legally ineligible to perform their duties. If such a leader is granted bail after the legal process, they may resume their position," he further said.
Earlier in the day, Amit Shah tabled the One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The bills were referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament consisting of 21 members of the Lok Sabha, to be nominated by the Speaker, and 10 members of the Rajya Sabha, to be nominated by the Deputy Chairman. Several opposition MPs opposed the bills amid loud sloganeering, prompting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 3 pm.
Opposing the bills, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "I stand to oppose the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025. This violates the principle of separation of powers and undermines the right of the people to elect a government. It gives executive agencies a free hand to act as judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions."
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