A bill presented during the parliamentary monsoon session on August 20 proposes the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and Ministers if arrested on serious criminal charges and held for 30 days. This bill was met with strong opposition, with the opposition tearing up copies, alleging it was designed for blackmail.
Tejashwi Yadav, former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Leader of the Opposition, criticized the government, claiming the bill aims to destroy democracy. He said it’s a tool for blackmailing.
Tejashwi Yadav, an RJD leader, stated, “This is a new tactic to blackmail individuals. The law is solely intended to intimidate Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.” He further stated that the ruling party has always employed these methods, citing instances of past chief ministers being imprisoned but later cleared, such as Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal. He argued that this law is designed to weaken democracy.
Tejashwi alleged that the BJP, failing to reach its target of 400 seats, now relies on Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. He suggested the law prevents them from changing sides, particularly given the scrutiny Naidu faces from investigative agencies. He accused the BJP of using new laws to blackmail people and said this law will ease their efforts. He claimed they are working with anti-national elements to destroy democracy.
He also highlighted that, under this law, an inspector could arrest a Chief Minister and hold them for 30 days, resulting in the Chief Minister losing their position. He called it a move to weaken democracy and dismantle the constitution.