Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday claimed that the bill to remove jailed chief ministers or other elected officials is the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) way of implementing "one nation, one party."
Chaturvedi called the BJP's 2014 election promise of a "corruption-free India" a jumla(rhetoric) and said that the government has failed to deliver on it.
"Everyone wants cleanliness in politics and for politicians to stay away from corruption. The government has failed to deliver on its 2014 promise of a corruption-free India. Corruption is seen at every level of the government, and this proves that this promise was also a 'jumla'," Chaturvedi told news agency ANI.
Priyanka Chaturvedi recalled BJP national president JP Nadda talking about "one nation, one party" and said that the new constitutional amendment was his party's way of implementing this.
"JP Nadda talked about One Nation One Party during the Lok Sabha elections, and they are trying to implement it either through the Election Commission or through acts like this. It is shameful, and we will oppose it in the JPC. It is against democracy," she added.
What is in the contentious constitutional amendment introduced by Amit Shah?
{{/usCountry}}"JP Nadda talked about One Nation One Party during the Lok Sabha elections, and they are trying to implement it either through the Election Commission or through acts like this. It is shameful, and we will oppose it in the JPC. It is against democracy," she added.
What is in the contentious constitutional amendment introduced by Amit Shah?
{{/usCountry}}Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes the automatic removal of elected officials like Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Union Ministers, if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
The bill, along with the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee following a voice vote.
"A Minister, who for any period of 30 consecutive days during holding the office as such, is arrested and detained in custody, on allegation of committing an offence under any law for the time being in force, which is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or more, shall be removed from his office by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister to be tendered by the 31st day after being taken in such custody," the Constitution Amendment bill states.
The bill seeks to amend Articles 75, 164, and 239AA, introducing a legal mechanism that mandates the removal of ministers in custody for offences punishable by five years or more.
The issue with such a measure is that central agencies could be used to put cases and jail opposition CMs and ministers, potentially removing them from elected office.