On Saturday, Union cabinet Kiren Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally turned down an exception from new laws that would let a Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or cabinet be removed if they are arrested on serious criminal charges. Rijiju says that during cabinet talks on the issue, it was suggested that the prime minister not be included in the proposed measures. But PM Modi turned down the suggestion, saying that the law should apply to everyone the same.
“PM Modi told the cabinet that the recommendation is to keep the prime minister out of this bill, but he did not agree,” Rijiju told the news agency ANI. “PM Modi said no to the prime minister’s request for an exemption. The PM is likewise a citizen, and he should not have special protection.”
The move shows how the government feels about ethics and accountability in public life. Rijiju went on to say that the ruling party wants its own leaders to live up to high standards. “Most of the CMs are members of our party.” They have to abandon their job if they do something wrong. He argued that ethics should also mean something, and that the opposition would have supported the bill if they had put ethics first.
The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill all say that a minister, chief minister, or even the Prime Minister could lose their job within a month if they are arrested or held for 30 days for a crime that could put them in jail for five years or more.
When Union Home Minister Amit Shah brought these bills to Parliament, the opposition protested loudly and even tore up the draft laws. A voice vote finally passed the legislation, and they have now been forwarded to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for more study.
The opposition has been quite vociferous in its condemnation, calling the planned changes “draconian” and “unconstitutional.” They say that central agencies would use the new legislation as a political tool to go after and destabilize chief ministers in states run by the opposition. This would go against the ideals of federalism and the idea that someone is innocent until proven guilty.