Bills to remove PM, CMs totally 'anti-democracy': Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) MP Chandra Shekhar on Thursday said the three new bills which provide for the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers or ministers arrested for 30 days on serious criminal charges are totally "anti-democracy".

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced in Lok Sabha three Bills for the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers and ministers under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges, drawing fierce protests from opposition MPs who tore up copies of the draft law and marched close to his seat shouting slogans.

"The Bills are totally anti-democracy, an attack on the Constitution and an insult to the people who elect representatives," the MP from Nagina in Uttar Pradesh told PTI.

"The way agencies have been acting, the way they are taking action against opposition leaders, these Bills have been brought to target the Opposition. This is an attack on the Constitution, and we will not tolerate any kind of attack on the Constitution, so we are opposing it," he said.

Asked about the BJP's remarks that their ministers would also come under the purview of the Bills, Chandra Shekhar said, "Has the ED (Enforcement Directorate) raided any BJP ministers so far? All ED raids are on opposition leaders." "There are leaders who were called corrupt, but were made 'deputy CM' after switching to the BJP's side. Maharashtra, Assam, are examples... B S Yeddyurappa is an example..." he said.

"People are watching that democracy is being replaced with autocracy," he added.

The three Bills, which were introduced by the Home Minister on Wednesday and referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, are 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 Bills have proposed that if the prime minister, Union ministers or chief ministers are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their jobs on the 31st day. PTI AO AO KSS KSS