Such laws act as termites for Constitution: Sibal slams bills for removal of PMs, CMs, ministers

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday slammed the government for introducing bills proposing the removal of prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges, asserting that these are the kind of laws which act like "termites" for the Constitution. Sibal said it seems the intention of the bills is to target opposition ministers and chief ministers and alleged that the government was "destroying" the very fundamental premises of the Constitution. He, however, asserted that the government will not be able to get the bills passed as a Constitution Amendment Bill requires a two-thirds majority which the government doesn't not have. "Since 2014, we have seen a number of laws which are aimed at snatching human rights given to us by the Constitution. Such laws act as termites for the structure of the Constitution," the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said at a press conference here.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced in the Lok Sabha three Bills for the removal of 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. On Shah's proposal, the bills were sent by the House to a Joint Committee of Parliament comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha for scrutiny. The three Bills 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. Sibal cited the examples of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Hemant Soren and said it seems the bills are aimed at targeting opposition ministers and chief ministers. "They are destroying the very fundamental premises of our Constitution," he said. "So if you come to power through the democratic process, they will destroy the government or else will not let them come to power through manipulations," Sibal said alluding to allegations of irregularities in voters' list. "Termites that the Home Minister had talked about. I want to tell him these are the kind of laws which act like termites for the Constitution," he said. Sibal said the government was "afraid" and claimed that people are rallying behind Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav with lakhs of people coming to listen to them during their Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar. The Bills have proposed that if 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.