Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has strongly condemned the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill presented in Parliament. Banerjee took to social media platform X to express her dissent, asserting that the bill aims to weaken the judicial system, thereby preparing the ground for a ‘one man-one party, one government’ structure. She characterized the bill as a move worse than a super-Emergency, threatening to permanently dismantle India’s democratic framework. Banerjee labeled it a draconian step and a death knell for India’s democracy and federalism.
Banerjee highlighted that the bill intends to suppress the voting rights of Indian citizens under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). She further criticized the bill’s purported aim to eliminate the independence of the judiciary. She described it as a ‘Hitlerian attack’ on Indian democracy, aiming to strip the judiciary of its constitutional functions, specifically its authority to adjudicate matters pertaining to justice and federal equilibrium. Banerjee warned that granting such powers to biased bodies would undermine democracy. She emphasized that this is not a reform but a step backward, leading to a system where laws are controlled by vested interests instead of independent courts. This bill represents an alarming attempt to establish a regime where judicial oversight is suppressed, constitutional protections are dismantled, and the rights of citizens are trampled upon, reminiscent of the darkest periods of the 20th century.
Banerjee stated that undermining the courts is equivalent to weakening the public, denying them access to justice, and depriving them of democracy. She asserted that the bill undermines the foundational principles of the Constitution – federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review – principles that even the Parliament cannot nullify. If passed, it will be detrimental to constitutional governance in India. Banerjee stated the aim of the bill is to reinforce a system of one man, one party, and one government. The bill interferes with the mandate of the government and gives unelected authorities (ED, CBI – which the Supreme Court has called ‘caged parrots’) extensive powers to interfere in the functioning of elected state governments. She urged the public to oppose the bill at all costs to protect democracy. She concluded that the public will not tolerate any effort to deprive them of their courts, rights, and democratic principles.