Constitutional Amendment Bill ‘Patently Unconstitutional’: Chidambaram

• P. Chidambaram called the new bill “patently unconstitutional.”
• He said it would overturn the verdict of the people without a trial or conviction.
• The bill proposes removing ministers jailed for 30 days for offenses with a five-year jail term.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Aug: Amid a row in Parliament, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram has described the proposed constitutional amendment bill as “extraordinary” and “patently unconstitutional.” The bill proposes that the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and other ministers could be removed from office if they are jailed for a month.

In a post on X, Mr. Chidambaram, a senior lawyer, called the legislation “bizarre.” He wrote, “No charges, no trial, no conviction but the verdict of the people in an election will be overturned by a mere arrest (usually on fake charges).” He expressed concern that since courts are often reluctant to grant bail, the 30-day period could easily pass, leading to the destabilization of an elected government.

The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha yesterday amid strong protests from the Opposition. The bill has since been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further deliberation.

The Opposition has alleged that the legislation is a ploy by the BJP-led Centre to use central agencies to frame and remove non-BJP Chief Ministers from office. In his defense of the bill, Home Minister Shah stated its purpose is to “elevate the declining moral standards and maintaining integrity in politics.”