Lok Sabha Erupts Over Bill to Oust Arrested PM, CMs, Ministers

Aug 21, 2025 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced several Bills in the Lok Sabha, including a Constitutional Amendment Bill proposing automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Ministers from office if they are under arrest for more than 30 consecutive days on serious charges.

The three Bills – the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill – propose that a sitting minister, Chief Minister or Prime Minister can lose their office within a month if arrested or detained for 30 consecutive days over an offence that carries a jail term of five years or more.

As soon as the Constitution Amendment Bill was introduced, the Opposition strongly protested and stormed into the well of the House. Opposition MPs tore up copies of the draft law and threw papers toward Home Minister Shah. They alleged that the Bill was being brought to target them and demanded its withdrawal. TMC MPs shouted slogans and advanced toward BJP MPs in the well.

The chaos intensified to such an extent that marshals quickly moved in to form a security ring around Shah.

Shah clarified that the purpose of the amendment is to ensure that no Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister runs the government from jail.

He added, "It is up to the public to decide whether it's appropriate to govern from jail."

Tempers frayed as protesting Opposition members and ruling party MPs came close to jostling. Opposition MPs claimed the Bills would open up misuse for political reasons and violated Constitutional principles, targeted federalism and discredited the theory of 'innocent until proven guilty'. They said the Bills would turn the country into a police state.

Meanwhile, former Home Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram today came down heavily on the ruling party for bringing what he described as the “extraordinary and patently unconstitutional” Bill. He said there could perhaps be nothing “more bizarre in the legal world”.

In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote, “Have you heard of anything more bizarre in the legal world? No charges, no trial, no conviction but the verdict of the people in an election will be overturned by a mere arrest (usually on fake charges).”

“Nowadays, trial courts seldom grant bail. High Courts are reluctant to grant bail. Thousands of bail applications land in the Supreme Court every month. This process will take many weeks. Meanwhile, 30 days will pass and the elected government will be de-stabilised,” Chidambaram added.

The Bills were sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), comprising 21 members of the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, for further discussion. The Constitutional Amendment Bill will require the support of at least two-thirds of the Members in both Houses. The ruling alliance currently lacks such a majority on its own.

With Media Inputs