Union Minister G Kishan Reddy Backs 130th Constitutional Amendment, Says Bill Ensures Accountability of Ministers

New Delhi: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday defended the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, describing it as a “landmark step” to hold central and state ministers accountable for serious crimes. The bill, currently tabled in the Rajya Sabha after introduction in the Lok Sabha, proposes that the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and other ministers will automatically lose their posts if they are arrested for serious offenses and remain in jail for 30 days.

Speaking to the media, Reddy said, “The Centre has introduced a very ambitious bill. Today it is being discussed in the JPC. The entire country will welcome it. Till now, there was no law to take action against ministers and Chief Ministers.”

Reddy criticized opposition parties for their reaction in the Lok Sabha, calling it “unfortunate” and emphasizing that the bill applies equally to all parties, not any single political group. He cited past cases to underline the need for stronger accountability measures. “Kejriwal was in jail for four years as Chief Minister of Delhi. He held review meetings from jail after allegedly defrauding hundreds of crores in the Delhi liquor scam. Senthil Balaji continued as a minister in Tamil Nadu while in jail. Now, they are giving speeches on moral values,” he said.

The Union Minister further highlighted past corruption cases during previous regimes, pointing to the CAG report on Sonia Gandhi, which revealed alleged corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crores during the Manmohan Singh government. “Moral values are needed for those who make laws,” he added.