The Indian political landscape is roiled by a new bill proposed by the central government. The bill seeks to empower the removal of key political figures – the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, and state-level Chief Ministers and Ministers – if they are arrested or detained on serious criminal allegations. The opposition has reacted with fury, viewing the legislation as a direct assault on their power and a blatant attempt to destabilize them.
The Congress party has led the charge in condemning the bill, alleging that the BJP-led government intends to weaponize central agencies to target opposition leaders, leading to their immediate removal from office. Abhishek Singhvi, a prominent Congress voice, denounced the bill, pointing to the absence of arrest guidelines and the potential for politically motivated actions. He underscored that the bill would mandate the removal of a sitting Chief Minister upon arrest.
Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of attempting to amend the constitution with the backing of only a limited number of MPs. She further argued that the new bill bypasses both federalism and the judiciary, allowing the central government to employ the ED and CBI to arrest opposition Chief Ministers on fabricated charges and dismiss them before any court verdict.
Echoing these concerns, Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, suggested that the bill is a strategic move to distract from Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar. This proposed legislation has escalated tensions and raised serious questions about the future of political stability.