Following mounting and fierce opposition to the trio of ‘draconian’ bills both within and outside Parliament, Shah claimed that the Modi government was acting in response to “public anger” and argued there has been a recent trend of politicians continuing to hold constitutional positions even from jails, without citing any examples.
Published Aug 20, 2025 | 8:35 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 20, 2025 | 8:35 PM
Shah pointed to the example of senior BJP leader LK Advani, who resigned from his post “merely on the basis of allegations”.
Synopsis: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday defended the introduction of three bills that seek to bar jailed politicians from holding office, saying the move was aimed at addressing “public anger”, amid mounting criticism from the opposition both within and outside Parliament. Accusing the Congress and its allies of obstructing reforms to shield corruption, he claimed the party had a history of placing leaders beyond accountability, beginning with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has justified the tabling in the Lok Sabha of three bills, including a constitutional amendment, that seek to disqualify politicians from continuing as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or as Union and State ministers if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious charges.
Following mounting and fierce opposition to the bills both within and outside Parliament, Shah claimed that the Modi government was acting in response to “public anger” and argued there has been a recent trend of politicians continuing to hold constitutional positions even from jails, without citing any examples.
In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, 20 August, Shah said the bills were corrective to what he termed “declining moral standards” in politics.
“On account of the Modi government’s commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace, today with the Lok Sabha speaker’s permission, I tabled [the bills],” he wrote, asserting the intention was “to elevate the declining moral standards and maintaining integrity in politics”.
“When the Constitution was framed, its makers could not have imagined that in the future, political leaders would refuse to resign on moral grounds even after being arrested. In recent years, the country has witnessed shocking instances where chief ministers or ministers continued to run governments from jail without resigning,” Shah wrote.
“The bills also provide that an accused politician must obtain bail within 30 days of arrest. If they fail to secure bail within 30 days, then on the 31st day, either the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister will have to remove them; otherwise, by law, they will cease to remain eligible to function.”
Once a leader secured bail through due legal process, Shah said, they could return to office.
“Now the people of the country need to decide: Is it right for a minister, chief minister, or prime minister to run a government from jail?” he asked.
On account of the Modi government’s commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace, today with the Lok Sabha speaker’s permission, I tabled constitutional amendment bills that will prevent people from holding important…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 20, 2025
Shah further accused the opposition, particularly the Congress and its allies, of obstructing reforms to protect their own interests.
“On one hand, PM Shri Narendra Modi has introduced a constitutional amendment to bring himself into the ambit of law. On the other hand, under the leadership of Congress, the entire opposition has opposed it in order to remain above the law, run governments from jail, and cling to power,” Shah claimed.
He drew a sharp contrast between the BJP’s approach and what he characterised as the Congress’s history of placing its leaders beyond accountability.
“The nation also remembers the time when, in this very august House, then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji, through Constitutional Amendment No. 39, granted special privilege to the Prime Minister, ensuring that no legal action could be taken against her.
“While the Congress’s work culture and policy have been to place the prime minister above the law through constitutional amendments, the BJP’s policy is to bring our own prime minister, ministers, and chief ministers under the ambit of law.”
Shah pointed to the example of senior BJP leader LK Advani, who resigned from his post “merely on the basis of allegations”, and accused Congress of perpetuating “the unethical tradition started by Smt. Indira Gandhi”.
He also invoked the case of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose political rehabilitation by the Congress and its allies he described as hypocritical.
“The very same Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav Ji, to safeguard whom from the law the Congress party had once brought an ordinance, a move that was opposed by Shri Rahul Gandhi too–is being embraced by Rahul Gandhi at Gandhi Maidan in Patna today. The people clearly understand this double standard.”
The Home Minister then addressed the criticism that Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had made in Parliament earlier in the day, where he questioned Shah’s own record during his arrest in Gujarat in 2010.
“Today in the House, a Congress leader made a personal remark against me, saying that when the Congress trapped me in a completely fabricated case and had me arrested, I did not resign,” Shah wrote.
“I want to remind Congress that I had resigned even before being arrested. I did not hold any constitutional position, even after being released on bail, until the court fully acquitted me. The fake case against me was dismissed by the court with the clear observation that it was motivated by political vendetta.”
He criticised the opposition for rejecting the bills outright, even though they were to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed discussion.
“It was already made clear that this bill would be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Parliament for detailed discussion, yet the entire INDI Alliance, under Congress’s leadership, shamelessly united to oppose it in a disgraceful manner to shield corruption,” he asserted.
“Today the opposition stands completely exposed before the people.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
