The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, and two allied Bills that extend its applicability to Union Territories and Jammu and Kashmir, were tabled by the government in Parliament yesterday, and they have sparked massive resistance and outrage in the Opposition ranks. 

The Bills enable the removal of Central and State Ministers, as well as the Prime Minister and Chief Minister, if they are arrested on serious criminal charges. If the Bills become law, any CM arrested on serious criminal charges will be out of office within 31 days of arrest. 

The government has justified these Bills as necessary to bring in political morality in public office. The Bills have now been referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, which will have to submit its report by the Winter session of Parliament. 

What is the rationale behind these Bills? Are they anti-federal and anti-democratic?  And does the government have a realistic of chance of passing them in Parliament?

Guest: Sanjay Hegde, Senor Advocate at the Supreme Court

Host: G. Sampath, Podcast Editor, The Hindu 

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

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