Tempers flare as HM Amit Shah introduces three Bills for removal of Ministers facing serious criminal charges

The Lok Sabha witnessed a face-off and sharp exchanges between Congress member K.C. Venugopal and Home Minister Amit Shah during the introduction of a Constitutional Amendment Bill on Wednesday (August 20, 2025).

Mr. Shah had moved three Bills that allow the removal of elected representatives, including the Prime Minister and Chief Minister, upon being arrested or detained on serious criminal charges.

Opposing the Bills, Mr. Venugopal questioned the BJP’s claim that the Bills had been brought in to ensure morality and pointed out that Mr, Shah too had been arrested when he was Gujarat Home Minister.

“I was framed in fabricated cases, but I resigned before I was arrested,” Mr. Shah replied.

Earlier, several Opposition members, including Congress’s Manish Tewari and the Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, had opposed the bill.

What are the Bills about?

The Bills say that the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Ministers of States and Union Territories who are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days on allegation of committing an offence punishable with imprisonment for five years or more, shall be removed from office by the 31st day by the President, Chief Minister (in case of State Ministers), Governor (for Chief Ministers) and Lieutenant-Governor (for Chief Minister in Union Territories).

The Bills say that they could be subsequently reappointed on release from custody.

The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill sent by Mr. Shah, circulated among Lok Sabha members on Tuesday, said, “the elected representatives represent hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is expected that they rise above political interests and act only in the public interest and for the welfare of people. It is expected that the character and conduct of Ministers holding the office should be beyond any ray of suspicion.”

It said that a Minister, who is facing allegation of serious criminal offences, arrested and detained in custody, may thwart or hinder the canons of constitutional morality and principles of good governance and eventually diminish the constitutional trust reposed by people in him.