Union Home Minister Amit Shah has introduced a controversial law in Lok Sabha under which the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of states can be removed from office if they are in jail for 30 days, even if they are not convicted of the crime.
The Opposition has protested against the Constitution amendment Bill, describing it as “draconian” and accusing the ruling BJP of trying to convert the country into a “police state”.
Senior Congress leader and Wayanad 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 Chief Minister, have him arrested for 30 days without conviction, and he ceases to be a Chief Minister. It is absolutely anti-constitutional, undemocratic and very unfortunate,” she added.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the BJP government wants to turn the country into a “police state”. “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,” he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said the government is “solely interested in amassing power, wealth and control without any accountability”. We strongly condemn this authoritarian attitude and oppose the introduction of this draconian constitutional amendment bill,” he said on X.
Among the BJP MPs who supported the Bill is Manan Kumar Mishra, who accused the Opposition of trying to divert public attention. “The government is bringing an important bill in which those who have been in jail for more than 30 days will not be allowed to hold ministerial positions. There can be no work more important than this, but the opposition wants to obstruct Parliament,” he said.
