Saralnama
Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, which mandates the automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, or any minister held in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges punishable by five years or more. Shah emphasized that governance cannot be conducted from jail and stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted on including his own office under the bill's provisions. He rejected opposition claims of potential misuse, asserting that courts would grant bail before 30 days to prevent wrongful removal and that legislative majorities would remain intact as governments could continue under alternate leaders until reappointment. The bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further examination. Opposition parties, including Congress, AAP, TMC, and AIMIM, have opposed the bill, warning it could be used to target non-BJP leaders, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi calling it a step toward a "police state." Shah maintained that the dignity of democracy requires that governments not be run from jail and that the people will decide on this principle. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 12:29 IST; source: link)