During the monsoon session of Parliament on August 20, a bill was introduced proposing the removal of Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Ministers from their positions upon arrest on serious criminal charges and detention for 30 consecutive days. This bill sparked a major uproar from the opposition, with copies of the bill even being torn up. The opposition alleges that the bill is being brought forward for the purpose of blackmail.
Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Leader of the Opposition, accused the government of plotting to dismantle democracy with this bill, which he claimed would be used to blackmail people.
Tejashwi Yadav, a leader of the RJD party, stated, “This is a new way to blackmail people. This law is being brought solely to intimidate Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.” He further added that such tactics are characteristic of the ruling party, referencing past instances of chief ministers being jailed and later acquitted, such as Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal. He argued that the law is designed to undermine democracy.
Tejashwi highlighted that the BJP, having failed to achieve its target of 400 seats, is now relying on Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. He suggested that the law aims to prevent them from switching allegiances, especially given that several investigative agencies are pursuing inquiries against Naidu. He further stated that the BJP is known for introducing new laws to blackmail people, and this law would facilitate their efforts. He accused them of colluding with anti-national forces to destroy democracy.
He also pointed out that, according to the law, even an inspector could arrest a chief minister and hold them in custody for 30 days, resulting in the loss of the chief minister’s position. He labeled it as a move to weaken democracy and shred the constitution.
