Those clubbing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with the restoration of statehood end up with red faces
New Delhi: Union Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday moved three Bills in Lok Sabha for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers arrested on serious criminal charges for 30 days, drawing fierce protests from the Opposition.
In Jammu and Kashmir, some renowned journalists, politicians and social activists had thought that the Bill regarding the reorganisation of J&K was aimed at restoring statehood, missing the broader picture. It was countrywide, and J&K UT was just a reference.
As soon as the bill was tabled, the Opposition members began protests and trooped into the well, raising slogans, as some of them tore copies of the Bills in front of Shah.
As Opposition MPs, including AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress’ Manish Tewari and K C Venugopal, spoke against the introduction, terming the proposed law against the Constitution and federalism, Shah rejected criticism that the Bills were brought in haste.
The home minister said the Bills will be sent to the Joint Committee of Parliament, where members of both Houses, including those from the Opposition, would get an opportunity to give their suggestions.
When Venugopal raised the issue of Shah’s arrest while he was the home minister of Gujarat and asked about his claim of morality in politics, the senior BJP leader countered, saying he had resigned on moral grounds before his arrest and joined the government only after being discharged by the court.
“We cannot be so shameless that we continue to occupy constitutional positions while facing serious charges,” Shah said.
Amid continuous noisy protests, the House was adjourned till 3 pm.
As the protests escalated, BJP members, including Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and Kiren Rijiju came near Shah and there was a brief jostling between Opposition and ruling party MPs.
Three House marshals formed a protective ring around Shah. Even after the House was adjourned, the Opposition members continued with the sloganeering.
The three Bills are the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025.
The Bills have proposed that if the prime minister, union ministers or chief ministers, are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their job on the 31st day.
Opposing the Bill at the introduction stage, Owaisi said the Constitution is being amended to “destabilise governments”.
Tewari echoed similar views, saying that one is “innocent till proven guilty”.
“….this Bill is against the jurisprudence of criminal justice and distorts Parliamentary democracy. The bill opens door for political misuse and throws all constitutional safeguards to the winds,” he said.
RSP MP NK Premchandran alleged that the Bills are being introduced in “undue haste”.
“These Bills are not being introduced as per the procedures of the House. What is the undue haste in bringing such important Bills that they have not even been circulated to the members,” he said.
According to the Bill, there is no provision under the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963) for the removal of the chief minister or a minister arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges.
Hence, there is a need to amend section 45 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, to provide a legal framework for the removal of a chief minister or a minister in such cases.
Centre should relook ‘draconian’ provisions of three bills: NC
J&K Cong chief says bills reflect ‘authoritarian character’ of ruling BJP
The ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday said some provisions of the three bills moved by Union Minister Amit Shah for the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers arrested on serious criminal charges for 30 days, were “draconian”, and expressed the hope that government will address the concerns of the opposition.
“Some provisions of the bills are draconian. These will be opposed tooth and nail,” NC state spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said and demanded a “relook”.
He expressed the hope that the government would listen to the “genuine concerns of the opposition to address them and act rationally”.
“We hope the democratic principles will not be allowed to be eroded further,” he added.
Dar said the party hopes these bills will be “relooked”.
“These bills are going to the JPC. We hope the concerns raised by the Opposition on the bills are addressed there as well,” the NC state spokesperson said.
Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Karra alleged that the bills reflected the “authoritarian character” of the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
“Rather than further strengthening the states and restoring statehood to J&K, they have shown the whole world their authoritarian mindset and authoritarian attitude under which they are trying to tighten the noose around the neck of a CM or a minister of any state,” Karra said here.
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president was speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary at the party office.
Karra said the Centre should respect the wishes and aspirations of the people of J&K.
“They played with the identity of the people of J&K, took away their constitutional guarantees, the protection of land, resources and jobs. Now, rather than respecting the wishes and aspirations of the people of J&K, they are showcasing their anti-J&K mindset once again,” he added.
To a question whether the Congress party will support the signature campaign announced by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the restoration of statehood, the JKPCC chief said the National Conference runs as per its agenda, while the Congress party has its own agenda that it follows as it is not bound by compulsions of being in the government.
“Do not put your words into our mouths. We are in complete alliance with them (NC), but we are not a part of the government. We have said that we have our own agenda, we have our own manifesto, and they have theirs.
“They talk about statehood in their own way, and we do it in our own way. The aim is the same. But since they are in the government, they may have some compulsions that Congress does not have. So, we have openly launched a struggle for the restoration of statehood,” Karra added.
