"Democracy can't allow corruption to continue," BJP's Damodar Agarwal praises constitution ammendment bill

New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): BJP MP Damodar Agarwal praised the BJP-NDA government new Bill for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers facing serious criminal charges.

The BJP MP called it a step against corruption and for upholding democracy and the rule of law.

Democracy cant allow corruption to continue. The BJP-NDA Government doesnt want to allow this. It wants to implement decorum, sanctity and the rule of law. So, this good Bill has been brought. Opposing this shows that they are rattled.., he said.

On Wednesday, Amit Shah introduced in the Lok Sabha the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, to further amend the Constitution of India and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, apart from the bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The bills were sent to the joint committee of Parliament.

The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days. Union Minister Amit Shah tabled the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The proposed bill mandates the removal of any Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister who is detained for 30 consecutive days on charges punishable with at least five years of imprisonment. If the arrested leader doesnt resign, their office will automatically fall vacant after 31 days. Interestingly, the bill allows for re-appointment post-release, providing a degree of flexibility.

Several Opposition MPs opposed the bills amid huge sloganeering, prompting the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House yesterday.

Opposing the Bills, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, I stand to oppose the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025. This violates the principle of separation of powers and undermines the right of the people to elect a government. It gives executive agencies a free hand to act as judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions.

This government is hell-bent on creating a Police State. This will be the final nail in the coffin of elected governments. The Indian Constitution is being amended to turn this country into a police state. The Chief Minister and the Ministers will not be accountable to the people, Owaisi added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari claimed that the bill is destructive to the basic structure of the Constitution.

The basic structure of the Indian Constitution states that there must be the rule of law, and its foundation is that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This bill makes an investigating officer more powerful than the Prime Minister of India. It violates Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty). It distorts parliamentary democracy, which is again part of the basic structure, by displacing the will of the people. This bill opens the door to political misuse by state machinery whose arbitrary actions have been repeatedly condemned by the Supreme Court. It throws all existing Constitutional safeguards to the winds. This makes the amendment unnecessary and unconstitutional, Tewari said.

Congress MP KC Venugopal and Home Minister Amit Shah engaged in a verbal spat over the morality regarding the bills.

Venugopal said, This bill is meant to sabotage the basic principles of the Constitution. BJP members are saying that this bill is to bring morality into politics. Can I ask the Home Minister a question? When he was the Home Minister of Gujarat, he was arrested -- did he uphold morality at that time? (ANI)

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.