India’s government on Wednesday tabled a controversial bill that would allow the removal of ministers and senior politicians if they are arrested and held in custody for 30 days on charges carrying a minimum sentence of five years.
Critics warn the move could be weaponised against opposition leaders in the country’s increasingly polarised political climate.
The proposal, introduced in parliament by Home Minister Amit Shah, would force politicians out of ministerial office if they face prolonged detention over serious offences. Shah defended the bill, saying it aimed to raise “the value of ethics” in public life. “We cannot be so shameless that we face accusations and still remain in a constitutional position,” he told lawmakers.
The legislation comes after a string of opposition leaders, including Delhi’s former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren, were jailed in recent years on corruption charges they insist were politically motivated.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounced the bill as a “chilling attempt to establish a rule where judicial scrutiny is silenced, constitutional safeguards are dismantled, and the people’s rights are trampled,” calling it a “death knell for democracy and federalism in India.”
Opposition lawmakers argue the measure risks abuse in what they describe as an era of “vindictive politics,” where federal investigative agencies are accused of targeting government critics. John Brittas of the Communist Party of India-Marxist warned the provisions “will be misused for ulterior motives.”
The Association of Democratic Reforms, an electoral watchdog, has reported that nearly half of India’s 543 elected lawmakers face criminal cases, with 170 of them accused of serious crimes such as murder, rape, and kidnapping.
The bill also comes amid international concern over democratic backsliding in India. US-based Freedom House last year said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had “increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents.”
If passed, the legislation could significantly reshape India’s political landscape, potentially disqualifying dozens of ministers and deepening tensions between the ruling party and its rivals.
Written By Rodney Mbua
