PM Modi Refused Exemption from New Law on Removal of Arrested Ministers: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly rejected any proposal to exempt the office of the Prime Minister from the ambit of newly introduced legislations mandating automatic removal of ministers held in custody for 30 consecutive days.

Speaking on the controversial bills, Rijiju recalled, “PM Modi told the cabinet that the recommendation is to keep the prime minister out of this bill, but he did not agree. PM Modi refused to give an exception to the prime minister. The PM is also a citizen, and he should not have special protection.”

The bills — including the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, and the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill — were introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week. They stipulate that if the Prime Minister, a chief minister, or any minister is arrested for 30 days on charges carrying at least five years’ minimum punishment, they will lose their office on the 31st day. However, they can be reappointed upon release.

Rijiju stressed that the principle behind the laws was equality and accountability: “Most of the Chief Ministers are from our party. If they do something wrong, they have to leave their position. Ethics should also mean something. The Opposition would have welcomed this bill had they kept ethics at the centre.”

Defending the government amid uproar in Parliament, the minister accused the Opposition—particularly the Trinamool Congress (TMC)—of disrupting proceedings. “Everyone had agreed after prior discussion to maintain the order of the House… As soon as the House began, TMC MPs jumped into the well, started throwing papers. Congress’s Venugopal also started tearing papers. What happened to the understanding? TMC’s Mamata Banerjee orders her MPs from Kolkata, then they are compelled here… the ruckus begins,” he alleged.

The chaos broke out over fears that the laws could be misused by central agencies to destabilise non-BJP governments. Opposition leaders branded the move “draconian” and “unconstitutional.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, however, has defended the legislations as a landmark anti-corruption step. “We cannot be so shameless as to occupy constitutional positions while facing charges,” he declared.