Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine bills, send report before next session
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three significant bills in the Lok Sabha aimed at addressing the removal of elected representatives who are arrested and held in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
The proposed laws specifically target ministers facing allegations of offenses that carry a potential punishment of five years or more under current legislation. The bills include 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 Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill proposes amendments to Articles 75, 164, and 239AA, mandating the resignation or removal of ministers, including the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers, if they are detained for 30 consecutive days on serious charges. The bill stipulates that if a minister is arrested and detained, they must be removed from office by the President on the advice of the Chief Minister by the thirty-first day of their custody. If the Chief Minister fails to provide this advice, the minister will automatically cease to hold office the following day.
The other two bills aim to extend similar provisions to ministers in Union Territories and the Jammu and Kashmir administration, amending the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. All three bills have been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further examination, with a request for a report before the next Parliament session. Opposition MPs, including Asaduddin Owaisi and Manish Tewari, have expressed concerns regarding the bills, arguing that they conflict with constitutional provisions. However, Shah emphasized that the JPC process would facilitate further discussion and review of the proposed legislation. The committee will consist of 31 members from both Houses of Parliament, appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman, and will be tasked with scrutinizing the bills and providing a report in the upcoming session.
