Rahul Gandhi says PM, CM removal bills like going back to ‘medieval times’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduces three bills to remove ministers jailed for 30 days, which the Opposition alleges could be used to destabilise states
The three bills that provide for the removal of the prime minister or chief ministers if they complete 30 days in prison on serious charges are like a return to the medieval ages, when the king could just remove anybody at will, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday (August 20).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three bills — The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, which covers the prime minister, states and Delhi NCT; The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill — in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Also read: Amit Shah tables 3 Bills in LS to remove PM, CMs; Oppn tears copies in protest
‘Back to medieval times’
“We are going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will. There is no concept of what an elected person is. He doesn’t like your face, he gets ED to file a case, and a democratically elected person is wiped out within 30 days,” Rahul remarked, taking a dig at the Centre, which the Opposition has often accused of setting the anti-corruption agency on its leaders.
According to the draft laws, an arrested prime minister, chief minister, or minister who is held in custody for 30 straight days on charges carrying a punishment of five years or more will automatically be removed from office on the 31st day. However, it also says that they can be subsequently reappointed upon their release from custody.
Also read: ‘130th Constitution Amendment Bill can be misused to topple rivals before polls’ | Capital Beat
Attack on Opposition CMs?
Several sitting chief ministers — including Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi and Hemant Soren in Jharkhand — have been arrested by the ED in the recent past. Kejriwal continued to hold the post even after his arrest, and so did Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji. While both are now out of office, they created quite a controversy at that time. There is currently no provision to remove a sitting minister if they are accused of a serious crime.
The bills elicited the expected reaction from the Opposition, which tore up copies of the draft bills in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. “There is a war going on between those who are attacking the Constitution and those who are defending it,” said Rahul, dressed in a black T-shirt as a mark of protest.
The Opposition fears the government could use the laws to destabilise Opposition-ruled states through arbitrary arrests of ministers and chief ministers.