Latest news with #Constitution(OneHundredandThirtiethAmendment)Bill
Mint
an hour ago
- Politics
- Mint
Parliament Session: 'I resigned,' Amit Shah's response to KC Venugopal's morality jibe in Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha witnessed a heated face-off between the opposition and the government over the bills to remove elected representatives arrested on serious charges and kept in custody for over 30 days The face-off also saw a brief exchange between Congress MP KC Venugopal and Home Minister Amit Shah over the "morality" of the legislation. The exchange happened after Shah tabled the Bill. Soon after the Bill was tabled, Venugopal said, 'This bill is meant to sabotage the basic principles of the Constitution. BJP members are saying that this bill is to bring morality into politics. Can I ask the Home Minister a question? When he was the Home Minister of Gujarat, he was arrested - did he uphold morality at that time?' Replying to Venugopal, Shah recalled that false allegations were made against him."Before I was arrested, I resigned on moral grounds, and until I was declared innocent by the court, I did not accept any constitutional position," he said. Amit Shah further requested the Speaker to refer the three Bills to a Joint Committee of the Houses 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. Later, Shah on Wednesday called on the nation to decide whether it is appropriate for a minister, Chief Minister, or Prime Minister to run the government while they are in jail after Constitutional Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha and sent to the Joint Committee of Parliament. The Union Minister said that the move reflected the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's commitment against political corruption in the country and respond to the public's outrage. The remarks came soon after the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025' were referred to the JPC after Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced them in the Lok Sabha today. "Now, the people of the country will have to decide whether it is appropriate for a minister, Chief Minister, or Prime Minister to run the government while in jail," Shah said in a post on X. '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 said. Before I was arrested, I resigned on moral grounds, and until I was declared innocent by the court, I did not accept any constitutional position. The Home Minister explained that the bill was aimed at restoring morality in public life and bringing integrity to politics.
News18
17 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
‘I Resigned…': Amit Shah's Reply To Congress' ‘Morality' Question Over Bills To Remove PM, CMs
Last Updated: Congress MP Venugopal questioned Amit Shah's morality; Shah defended himself. The Lok Sabha witnessed a stormy and heated face-off between the Centre and the opposition over the contentious bill that provides for the removal of the Prime Minister or Chief Ministers arrested on serious criminal charges and kept in custody for over 30 days. During the house proceedings, a short but sharp exchange took place between Congress MP KC Venugopal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the 'morality" of the legislation. Face Off Between Amit Shah, Congress MP After the bills– the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, were tabled in the Lok Sabha, Venugopal invoked Shah's 2010 arrest as Gujarat's Home Minister and questioned his morality. 'This bill is to sabotage the federal system of the country; it is meant to sabotage the basic principles of the Constitution. Leaders of the BJP are saying that this bill is to bring morality into politics. Can I ask the Home Minister a question? When he was the home minister of Gujarat, he was arrested. Did he uphold morality at that time?" the Congress MP asked. Responding with emphasis, Shah said that the charges levelled against him were 'false," but he abided by constitutional principles by resigning from his post before going to jail. 'I want to set the record straight. Fake allegations were levelled against me, but despite that, I abided by morality and ethics and not only resigned but did not accept any constitutional post until I was cleared of all charges. They are trying to teach us morality? I had resigned. I want morality to increase. We can't be so shameless that we are charged and we continue to hold Constitutional posts. I had resigned before I was arrested," he said. Lok Sabha Ruckus Over Bill The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed a massive showdown between the treasury bench and the opposition after Shah introduced new bills that provide for the removal of the prime minister or chief ministers arrested on serious criminal charges. Opposition MPs, including Asasduddin Owaisi, Manish Tewari, NK Premchandran, Dharmendra Yadav and KC Venugopal, opposed the bill, calling it 'anti-constitutional". Shah, however, proposed that the three bills be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberation. Opposition MPs tore copies of three bills and threw paper bits towards him in the Lok Sabha. Speaker Om Birla later adjourned the House amid uproar. Opposing the bills, Owaisi said they violate the principle of separation of powers and undermine the right of the people to elect a government. 'It gives executive agencies a free run to become judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions…This government is hell-bent on creating a Police State. This will be a death nail unleashed on the elected government. India's Constitution is being amended to turn this country into a Police State," he added. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 20, 2025, 17:54 IST News politics 'I Resigned…': Amit Shah's Reply To Congress' 'Morality' Question Over Bills To Remove PM, CMs Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Mint
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Who will arrest Prime Minister?': Owaisi alleges bid to create ‘police state' as govt tables PM, CMs removal bills
Tempers ran high in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as Union Home Minister Amit Shah tabled three contentious bills that would mandate the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers if they are detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges. The Opposition staged a strong protest, as AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaini accused the PM Narendra Modi-led government of attempting to undermine democracy and create a 'police state.' The three pieces of legislation – the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – seek to provide a legal framework for the ouster of ministers facing serious criminal charges. According to the draft, if a Prime Minister, Chief Minister or minister is arrested and kept in custody for 30 consecutive days on charges punishable with imprisonment of at least five years, they must resign by the 31st day. Failing that, their removal will be automatic. The government argues that leaders under arrest cannot be allowed to continue in high office, as their detention risks eroding constitutional morality, weakening governance, and diminishing public trust. Opposition MPs alleged that the move violates constitutional safeguards and risks political misuse. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi delivered one of the fiercest interventions, declaring: '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.' On the specific provision for removal of top leaders, Owaisi asked pointedly: '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.' Congress MP Manish Tewari also opposed the introduction of the bills, arguing that they struck at the heart of constitutional democracy. 'I rise to oppose the introduction of these three Bills… This Bill is squarely destructive of the basic structure of the Constitution… This Bill opens the door for political misuse by instrumentalities of the State whose arbitrary conduct has been repeatedly frowned upon by the Supreme Court. It throws all existing Constitutional safeguards to the winds…' Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it 'draconian,' warning that it could be misused by ruling parties to dislodge elected leaders on flimsy or politically motivated cases. 'Tomorrow, you can file any case against a Chief Minister, have him/her arrested for 30 days without conviction… and he ceases to be a Chief Minister? It is absolutely anti-constitutional,' Priyanka Gandhi argued. Union Home Minister Amit Shah maintained that the bills were intended to strengthen governance and accountability, not weaken democracy. The draft notes argue that permitting leaders facing serious criminal charges to continue in office undermines both constitutional morality and the trust reposed in them by the people. While Shah himself refrained from a lengthy defence during introduction, the government is expected to frame the bills as necessary for upholding integrity in public life. The bills have been referred to joint committees before being taken up for detailed debate. With the BJP enjoying a majority in the Lok Sabha, the legislation is expected to pass there, though resistance in the Rajya Sabha may prove tougher.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After uproar, PM-CM removal bills referred to parliamentary committee
'The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025' referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament HT Image
Mint
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Seems reasonable…': Shashi Tharoor differs with Congress on bills to remove PM, CMs who spend 30 days in jail
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday described as 'reasonable' the government's new constitutional amendment bills seeking automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers or ministers if they are detained on serious criminal charges for 30 consecutive days. Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, along with two supplementary bills in the Lok Sabha. The proposed legislation lays down that holders of high constitutional office must resign—or else automatically lose office—if they remain in custody for a month on charges carrying at least five years of potential imprisonment. The legislation covers the Prime Minister, Union ministers, Chief Ministers and state ministers, including those in Union Territories. According to the draft, if such an office-bearer is arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal allegations, he or she must resign on the 31st day. Failing that, removal will be automatic. The amendment also provides that in case of the Chief Minister, who for any period of thirty consecutive days during holding the office as such, is arrested and detained in custody, on allegation of committing an offence under any law for the time being in force, which is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or more, shall tender his resignation by the thirty-first day after such arrest and detention, and if he does not tender his resignation, he shall cease to be the Chief Minister, with effect from the day falling thereafter. It also provides that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent such Chief Minister or Minister from being subsequently appointed as the Chief Minister or a Minister, by the Lieutenant Governor, on his release from custody, as per sub-section (1). The Narendra Modi-led government's explanatory note contends that allowing ministers accused of grave crimes to remain in office undermines constitutional morality, weakens public trust, and hampers governance. By codifying automatic removal, the central government claims it is strengthening accountability and ensuring higher ethical standards in public life. Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, 20 August remarked 'anyone who does anything wrong should be liable to punishment and should not be holding a high constitutional office'. Talking to ANI reporters, MP Shashi Tharoor called the constitutional Bills 'reasonable". 'I think that makes sense...', he added. Talking to NDTV, Tharoor had also said, "If you spend 30 days in jail, can you continue to be a minister? This is a matter of common sense... I don't see anything wrong in this," He said, 'I think it is good for our democracy to have a discussion within the committee... so let's have that discussion.' While Shashi Tharoor's comments suggest tacit support, the wider Congress party has attacked the legislation. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it 'draconian,' warning that it could be misused by ruling parties to dislodge elected leaders on flimsy or politically motivated cases. 'Tomorrow, you can file any case against a Chief Minister, have him/her arrested for 30 days without conviction… and he ceases to be a Chief Minister? It is absolutely anti-constitutional,' Priyanka Gandhi argued. The three bills introduced by Amit Shah will now be referred to the relevant parliamentary Joint Committee for scrutiny before being taken up for final passage. Given the BJP's parliamentary strength, the legislation is expected to clear the Lok Sabha, though heated debates are anticipated in both Houses.
