A major political storm broke out in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after Union Home Minister Amit Shah tabled the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which proposes that any Prime Minister, Chief Minister or Minister who remains in custody for 30 consecutive days would automatically lose their position.
The move immediately triggered uproar across the Opposition benches, with Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), AIMIM and several other parties alleging that the bill is designed to silence dissenting voices and destabilize Opposition-led state governments. Opposition MPs stormed into the Well of the House, tore copies of the bill, and raised slogans, forcing multiple adjournments before the draft legislation was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Critics argue that the bill, if enacted, could be weaponised against political rivals. They pointed to recent arrests of Opposition leaders including former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren as evidence of a pattern of targeting adversaries through investigative agencies.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi termed the bill “unconstitutional and undemocratic”, warning that it could be misused to unseat elected leaders even before any conviction. Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee echoed similar concerns, accusing the Centre of using constitutional amendments to consolidate power rather than protect federalism. He also criticised the government for failing to take firm steps on national security issues, while instead focusing on laws that weaken democratic institutions.
CPI(M) leaders described the bill as reflective of the government’s “neo-fascist” approach, while Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas warned that it directly undermines India’s federal structure.
Defending the proposal, Shah rejected the allegations of political vendetta and said the matter would be examined thoroughly by the JPC, which includes members from both ruling and Opposition parties. However, the Opposition remained unconvinced, and protests continued throughout the session.
Alongside the 130th Amendment Bill, Shah also introduced the Union Territories Government (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, both of which were met with similar resistance in the House.
Political observers say the heated debate signals a new flashpoint in Centre–Opposition relations, with the coming months likely to witness intensified confrontations inside and outside Parliament.
