New Delhi, 20 August

Union Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday moved three Bills in Lok Sabha for the removal of prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers arrested on serious criminal charges for 30 days, drawing fierce protests from the Opposition.

As soon as the bill was tabled, the Opposition members began protests and trooped into the well, raising slogans, as some of them tore copies of the Bills in front of Shah.

As Opposition MPs, including AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress' Manish Tewari and KC Venugopal, spoke against the introduction, terming the proposed law against the Constitution and federalism, Shah rejected criticism that the Bills were brought in haste.

The home minister said the Bills will be sent to the Joint Committee of Parliament, where members of both Houses, including those from the Opposition, would get an opportunity to give their suggestions.

When Venugopal raised the issue of Shah's arrest while he was the home minister of Gujarat and asked about his claim of morality in politics, the senior BJP leader countered, saying he had resigned on moral grounds before his arrest and joined the government only after being discharged by the court.

"We cannot be so shameless that we continue to occupy constitutional positions while facing serious charges," Shah said.

Amid continuous noisy protests, the House was adjourned till 3 pm.

As the protests escalated, BJP members, including Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and Kiren Rijiju came near Shah and there was a brief jostling between Opposition and ruling party MPs.

Three House marshals formed a protective ring around Shah. Even after the House was adjourned, the Opposition members continued with the sloganeering.

The three Bills are the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The Bills have proposed that if the prime minister, union ministers or chief ministers, are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their job on the 31st day.

Opposing the Bill at the introduction stage, Owaisi said the Constitution is being amended to "destabilise governments".

Tewari echoed similar views, saying that one is "innocent till proven guilty".

"....this Bill is against the jurisprudence of criminal justice and distorts Parliamentary democracy. The bill opens door for political misuse and throws all constitutional safeguards to the winds," he said.

RSP MP NK Premchandran alleged that the Bills are being introduced in "undue haste".

"These Bills are not being introduced as per the procedures of the House. What is the undue haste in bringing such important Bills that they have not even been circulated to the members," he said.

According to the Bill, there is no provision under the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963) for the removal of the chief minister or a minister arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges.

Hence, there is a need to amend section 45 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, to provide a legal framework for the removal of a chief minister or a minister in such cases.