West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly opposed the 130th Amendment Bill introduced in Parliament. She expressed her views on social media platform X, stating that it weakens the justice system, paving the way for a ‘one man-one party, one government’ system. Banerjee criticized the bill, calling it a step towards a future worse than a super-Emergency, one that would permanently end India’s democratic era. She described it as a draconian measure and a death knell for democracy and federalism in India. Banerjee further alleged that the bill aims to suppress the voting rights of Indian citizens under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Banerjee also stated that the bill seeks to undermine the independence of the judiciary, calling it an unprecedented move that is nothing short of a ‘Hitlerian attack’ on the spirit of Indian democracy. She argued that the bill intends to strip the judiciary of its constitutional role, taking away the courts’ power to decide on matters central to justice and federal balance. By handing such powers to biased entities, the bill distorts democracy. Banerjee emphasized that this is not a reform but a regression, a move towards a system where law is no longer in the hands of independent courts but in the hands of vested interests. It is a frightening attempt to establish a regime where judicial scrutiny is suppressed, constitutional safeguards are dismantled, and people’s rights are crushed. She said it reeks of the same mentality that the world condemned in the darkest periods of the 20th century. She stated that weakening the courts means weakening the public, denying them justice, and depriving them of democracy. The bill attacks the basic structure of the Constitution – federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review – principles that even Parliament cannot annul, and if passed, would be a death sentence for constitutional rule in India. Banerjee concluded that the objective of the bill is to consolidate a one man-one party-one government system, and that this bill interferes with the mandate of the government and gives unelected authorities (ED, CBI – which the Supreme Court has called ‘caged parrots’) extensive powers to interfere in the functioning of elected state governments. She urged for opposing this bill at any cost and for saving democracy at this crucial time, asserting that the public will not forgive any attempt to strip them of their courts, rights, and democracy.
