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EYE ON INDIA AUGUST 29, 2025 | The Indian Eye 8

CONSTITUTIONAL CLASH

BJP Pushes Anti-Corruption Amendment,

Opposition Warns of Political Targeting

The Bill has ignited a fiery debate in Parliament, with the ruling BJP emphasizing moral accountability for
leaders in custody, while opposition parties allege the move is a partisan tool to weaken democracy

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi
nion Home Minister Amit Shah introduced
the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill,
U2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday,
along with the Government of Union Territories
(Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kash-
mir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Ac-
cording to Shah, the legislation is aimed at ensuring
that no Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Union or
State Minister can continue in office while detained
in jail for serious criminal charges.
“This move reflects the Modi government’s
commitment against political corruption,” Shah said,
stressing that the bill seeks to elevate moral standards
in public life and bring integrity to politics. The legis-
lation also mandates that an accused politician must
obtain bail within 30 days; failure to do so would
automatically make their position legally ineligible,
though reappointment is permitted upon release.
Shah framed the bill as a response to instanc- Union Home Minister Amit Shah tables in Lok Sabha the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025,
es in recent years where elected leaders allegedly Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in New
continued to govern from jail, bypassing moral ac-
countability. “Now the people of the country will Delhi on Wednesday. (Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab)
have to decide whether it is appropriate for a min-
ister, Chief Minister, or Prime Minister to run the it revealed their intent to protect corrupt practices tween accused and convicted individuals, enabling
government while in jail,” he wrote on X. rather than ensure accountability. the central government to destabilize state admin-
istrations where the BJP lacks electoral strength.
RULING PARTY’S NARRATIVE OPPOSITION PUSHBACK Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah criticized the bill
as “deeply anti-federal,” warning that it grants the
or the BJP, the amendment is a symbolic and pposition parties, however, reacted sharply, Centre and its appointed governor’s disproportion-
practical step to assert the party’s zero-tol- describing the bill as “undemocratic, an- ate power to interfere in state governance. The op-
Ferance stance on political corruption. Shah Oti-federal, and a tool for political vendetta.” position highlighted that such legislation could set
repeatedly highlighted the contrast between the AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi called it a violation a precedent where political leverage, rather than
NDA’s approach and what he described as the op- of the separation of powers, warning that executive legal merit, determines the fate of elected officials.
position’s history of shielding corrupt leaders. agencies could act as “judge and executioner based
He cited examples from Congress’s past, refer- on flimsy allegations.” PARLIAMENTARY TENSIONS
encing the 39th Constitutional Amendment under Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal and
Indira Gandhi and alleging double standards by Ghulam Ahmad Mir, accused the BJP of weapon- he introduction of the bills sparked immedi-
leaders like Rahul Gandhi. “On one hand, Prime izing central agencies such as the CBI, ED, and In- ate uproar in the Lok Sabha, leading to an ad-
Minister Narendra Modi introduces a constitution- come Tax Department against opposition leaders. Tjournment amid verbal spats between Shah
al amendment to bring himself and ministers under They cited cases where chief ministers like Hemant and opposition MPs. The bills were subsequently
the ambit of law. On the other, the opposition re- Soren and Arvind Kejriwal were jailed but later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for
sists in order to remain above the law,” Shah said. acquitted, asserting that the bill could unfairly pe- detailed scrutiny, which includes 21 members from
The Home Minister also addressed criticism nalize leaders facing politically motivated charges. the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
from Congress MP KC Venugopal regarding his RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav echoed these con- The debate over the 130th Amendment re-
personal record, asserting that he had resigned cerns, calling the amendment a tactic to “blackmail flects a broader contest between two visions of gov-
from office on moral grounds when falsely accused and intimidate” specific state leaders, naming Bi- ernance: the BJP portraying itself as a moralizing
in the past, underscoring the party’s commitment har CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM force seeking accountability, and the opposition
to ethical governance. Shah called the opposi- Chandrababu Naidu. Manoj Jha, also from the framing the legislation as a partisan tool undermin-
tion’s united stance “shameless” and argued that RJD, argued that the legislation blurs the line be- ing democratic norms and federal autonomy.

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