Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday stunned Parliament by introducing three major Bills that could change the rules of political accountability in India. The move, which targets leaders facing serious criminal charges, has set off a stormy debate inside the Lok Sabha and beyond.
The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Union Territory Government Amendment Bill, 2025, and the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill, 2025 were all introduced with one common and explosive provision:
👉 If the Prime Minister, a Chief Minister, or any Central Minister is arrested on serious charges and remains in jail for more than 30 days, they will automatically lose their position.
The bills have now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further discussion, but the political impact was immediate.
The Scene in Parliament: Arena of Chaos
The introduction of the bills turned the Lok Sabha into a political battleground. From Congress to Samajwadi Party, AIMIM to DMK, opposition MPs tore up copies of the bills and flung them towards the Treasury benches in protest. Slogans filled the House as opposition leaders accused the government of targeting them under the garb of “cleansing politics.”
Amit Shah, however, appeared unfazed. With characteristic confidence, he declared that the move was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of corruption-free governance.
What Do the Bills Say?
👉Any elected leader—be it Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Cabinet Minister—facing a charge that carries a punishment of five years or more and who remains in jail beyond 30 days will automatically lose office.
👉There will be no requirement for a resignation, dismissal, or separate parliamentary procedure. The seat will be deemed vacant by law on the 31st day of incarceration.
This provision is being widely dubbed the “anti-corruption clause” and, informally, even the “Kejriwal Law”—a reference to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s controversial claim earlier this year that he could run his government from jail.
Why This Law Now?
The government argues that the law was necessary because there was no existing legal framework to prevent jailed leaders from holding onto their posts. Past incidents—such as leaders claiming they would govern from behind bars—exposed a loophole in India’s political system.
Supporters say the law will ensure that those accused of serious crimes like rape, corruption, hawala, money laundering, kidnapping, or murder cannot misuse power while under trial.
Critics, however, see it differently. They allege that the BJP government is crafting laws to neutralize political rivals ahead of 2029, when several opposition leaders—including Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Hemant Soren, and others—could face convictions in ongoing cases.
Why Is the Opposition So Worried?
For the Opposition, this bill is a ticking time bomb. Several of their top leaders face ED, CBI, and IT investigations or are already embroiled in corruption cases. A law like this would mean:
👉 Immediate disqualification if they are jailed for more than 30 days.
👉 No scope to symbolically claim power while awaiting bail.
This explains the fierce reaction. Many opposition leaders believe the Modi government is laying a political trap—a law that will appear clean and pro-reform to the public, but will in reality sideline the biggest opposition faces before elections.
The Political Narrative
For the BJP, this is nothing less than a masterstroke. The government is projecting itself as the torchbearer of clean politics, while painting the Opposition as a group of leaders afraid of losing power because of corruption cases.
For the Opposition, the move has created a dilemma:
👉 Support the bill and risk many of their leaders losing political ground.
👉 Oppose the bill and risk being branded as protectors of corruption.
👉 Either way, the Modi government has put them in a tight spot.
What Happens Next?
The bills are with the JPC, which will review and possibly amend them before they return to the Lok Sabha for final passage. The real battle, however, is outside Parliament—where the government will sell this as a pro-people, anti-corruption reform, while the opposition will try to frame it as political vendetta.
Conclusion
The Modi government’s move has shaken Indian politics at its core. By proposing automatic disqualification for leaders jailed beyond 30 days on serious charges, the BJP has not only challenged the traditional norms of governance but also thrown the Opposition into disarray.
Whether this becomes a historic step towards clean politics or a tool of political elimination will depend on how the law is shaped in the coming months.
For now, one thing is certain—the political heartbeat of corrupt and embattled leaders has quickened.
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