Anti-Constitutional: Priyanka Gandhi on bills proposing norms to remove PM, CM over criminal charges

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday slammed the new bills that provide for the removal of the prime minister or chief ministers arrested on serious criminal charges as "draconian" and "undemocratic". Slamming the Centre, she said by bringing such bills the BJP government is just trying to pull the wool over the eyes of people. "It as a completely draconian thing. It goes against everything and to couch it as a measure which is taken as anti-corruption is just to pull the wool over the eyes of the people. Because, what it basically allows a government to do is -- You don't even have to be convicted," she told reporters in Parliament complex. The Congress general secretary said, "Tomorrow, you can put any case on a chief minister and have him arrested for 30 days without even him being convicted, and then he ceases to be chief minister."

Noting that it is there for everybody to see, Priyanka Gandhi said, "I think it is absolutely wrong, it is anti-democracy and against Constitution, it is undemocratic, and it is very unfortunate." The government is planning to introduce three bills in Parliament on Wednesday for the removal of a prime minister, a Union minister, a chief minister or a minister of a state or Union Territory when arrested or detained on serious criminal charges. The Congress on Tuesday alleged the BJP-led Union government intends to bring laws to destabilise the opposition by getting its chief ministers arrested by "biased" central agencies and remove them from the post soon after their "arbitrary" arrest. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the ruling party wishes to bring such a law to remove opposition chief ministers after failing to defeat them electorally.