Bill seeking removal of PM, CMs jailed over 30 days, to be introduced in Parliament today

A landmark bill seeking the removal of elected representatives including the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, and ministers of states and Union Territories if arrested on serious criminal charges, will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

According to the draft, any minister who is taken into custody for 30 consecutive days will be required to resign by the 31st day, failing which they will be automatically removed from office. This marks a significant shift from existing provisions, where public representatives can only be removed following conviction.

The bill also proposes constitutional amendments to Articles 75, 164, and 239AA, strengthening accountability within the executive. While the proposed law does not detail specific criminal charges, it applies to offences with a minimum punishment of five years, such as murder and large-scale corruption.

Alongside, two other legislations—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—are likely to be referred to a parliamentary committee.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to introduce the motion in the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, the Opposition has called a meeting on Wednesday morning to deliberate its stance before the debate.

Currently, ministers facing criminal allegations often resign voluntarily before arrest to avoid political controversy. However, the precedent set by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who continued to lead his government from jail for nearly six months following his arrest in the excise policy case last year, has intensified calls for legal reform.