Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised the bill and alleged, "The Sangh Parivar has adopted a new tactic to hunt down non-BJP state governments."
Published Aug 20, 2025 | 9:41 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 20, 2025 | 9:41 PM
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan with Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin and Kerala CM Vijayan slammed the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, calling it undemocratic and authoritarian. The bill allows removal of elected leaders held in custody for 30 days, even without conviction. Critics allege it enables BJP to target opposition leaders using false charges, destabilise non-BJP states, and undermine federalism and democratic norms.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday, 19 August, strongly objected to the Constitution 130th Amendment Bill, 2025, introduced in Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Ministers of States and Union Territories who remain in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
In a post on X, Stalin described the move as a “Black Bill” that undermines the foundations of democracy. “The 130th Constitutional Amendment is not reform, this is a Black Day and this is a Black Bill. Thirty days’ arrest equals removal of an elected Chief Minister. No trial, no conviction, just BJP’s diktat. This is how dictatorships begin: steal votes, silence rivals and crush States,” he said, calling upon democratic forces to unite against the measure.
The 130th Constitutional Amendment is not reform — this is a Black Day and this is a Black Bill.
30-day arrest = Removal of an elected CM. No trial, no conviction — just BJP’s DIKTAT.
This is how DICTATORSHIPS begin: Steal votes, Silence rivals and Crush States.
I strongly… pic.twitter.com/1e5StEr0x1
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 20, 2025
He said that the BJP government at the Centre had already “defiled the Constitution” and was now attempting to divert attention from the recent “vote theft exposé.”
“After the exposé of vote theft, the very mandate on which the Union BJP government was formed is in serious question. Its legitimacy is doubtful. Having stolen the mandate of the people through fraud, the BJP is desperate to distract public attention. To do that, they have brought in the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill,” he alleged.
The Chief Minister noted that the Bill would allow the BJP to misuse provisions to remove elected leaders across States by foisting false cases. “The plan of this Bill is clear. It treats even a 30-day arrest as a ground for removal of an elected leader, without any conviction or trial. This unconstitutional amendment will certainly be struck down by the courts, because guilt is decided only after trial, not by the mere registration of a case,” he said.
Stalin further described the move as a “sinister attempt” to intimidate NDA allies, “stick with us or else.”
“The first move of any emerging dictator is to give himself the power to arrest and remove rivals from office. That is exactly what this Bill seeks to do,” he said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised the bill in a Facebook post, and alleged, “The Sangh Parivar has adopted a new tactic to hunt down non-BJP state governments. The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha must be seen as part of the Central Government’s political design in this regard. It is a continuation of the politics of vendetta carried out through the misuse of central investigative agencies.”
He further added, “We have already witnessed how central agencies are being deployed as weapons to destabilize state governments. As part of this agenda, Chief Ministers and Ministers who hold constitutional responsibilities in the country have been kept in prison for long periods. Their refusal to resign despite such harassment has frustrated the Centre, which is what lies behind the hasty introduction of the 130th Constitutional Amendment. Imprisoning leaders in false cases, disqualifying them on that basis — these are nothing but new experiments of neo-fascist politics.”
Further questioning the ruling BJP, he added, “The BJP must explain on what constitutional morality it justifies the bizarre logic that those arrested in corruption cases suddenly become saints once they switch parties and join the BJP. The attempt to destabilize state governments is part of a larger project to strip states of their constitutional rights and to establish a system where Governors wield veto power over legislatures.”
“This anti-democratic move by the Sangh Parivar, targeting political opponents, must be met with strong protest. All democratic forces must come together and resist the 130th Constitutional Amendment, which opens the door to political abuse and strikes at the very foundation of federalism.”
The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, tabled today in Parliament, is a blatant attack on federalism and the rights of states. It seeks to destabilise non-BJP governments by weaponising central agencies, jailing opponents on false charges, and disqualifying them. Democratic…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) August 20, 2025
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Veni EN, and Dileep V Kumar)
