West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly condemned the 130th Amendment Bill presented in Parliament, citing it as a grave threat to India’s democratic framework. Banerjee took to the social media platform X to express her concerns, arguing that the bill undermines the justice system, potentially creating a ‘one man-one party, one government’ system. She characterized the bill as a step beyond a super-Emergency, threatening to permanently end India’s democratic era. Banerjee called the bill a draconian measure and a threat to democracy and federalism in India.
Banerjee further alleged that the bill aims to suppress the voting rights of Indian citizens under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). She condemned the bill’s intention to eliminate the independence of the judiciary. She described it as an unprecedented move, akin to a ‘Hitlerian attack’ on the essence of Indian democracy. She warned that the bill seeks to strip the judiciary of its constitutional role, taking away the courts’ authority to adjudicate matters essential to justice and federal balance. She cautioned that handing such power to biased parties would distort democracy. She emphasized that this bill is not a reform but a step backward, leading to a system where the law is controlled by vested interests instead of independent courts. This is a frightening attempt to establish a regime where judicial oversight is suppressed, constitutional safeguards are dismantled, and the rights of people are crushed. Banerjee stated that it mirrors the mentality that the world condemned in the 20th century’s darkest times. She also stated that weakening the courts means weakening the public, denying them justice and democracy. The bill is seen by her as an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution – federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review – principles that even Parliament cannot nullify, and if passed, would be a death sentence for constitutional rule in India. The bill aims to reinforce a one man-one party-one government system. The bill allows the central government to interfere with the mandate and gives unelected authorities (ED, CBI – which the Supreme Court has called ‘caged parrots’) extensive powers to interfere in the functioning of elected state governments. She urged resistance to the bill at all costs to defend democracy, as the public will not forgive any effort to strip them of their courts, rights, and democracy.