Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken center stage in a seismic parliamentary maneuver by introducing three sweeping bills aimed at amending the Constitution and existing laws to mandate the removal of the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, and ministers of states or Union Territories who are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
The trio of legislations introduced in the Lok Sabha includes:
- Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025
These bills propose that any public servant holding such high offices must resign by the 31st day of continuous custody—or else be automatically removed. Only offences that carry prison terms of five years or more will trigger these provisions.
Although the framework mandates removal, it does not disqualify the individual from being reappointed post-release, keeping the door open for political resurgence.
Why Now & What’s Next
The bills will be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for deeper analysis—marking a rare cross-party scrutiny mechanism.
Opposition Reacts: “Weaponising the Law”
The bills have sparked sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress leaders have labelled them as “draconian” and accused the ruling party of seeking to undermine opposition states through arbitrary arrests. They argue those targeted will not be convicted before removal is triggered.
Congress spokespersons like Gaurav Gogoi and Abhishek Manu Singhvi have suggested these bills are attempts to distract from Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, and a strategic tool to destabilize non-BJP regimes
