'Aimed at Opposition-ruled states': Oppn MPs on 'criminal' ministers bill

New Delhi: Opposition MPs – KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Asaduddin Owaisi and NK Premachandran – on Wednesday in Lok Sabha opposed the introduction of three bills seeking removal of prime minister, chief ministers and ministers under arrest for 30 days in a row, saying it violates the basic structure of Constitution.

As he introduced the three bills, Home Minister Amit Shah rebutted claims by Venugopal saying he had resigned before being arrested in a "fabricated" case and wants morality in politics so that no one facing allegations remains in Constitutional posts.

He also rejected suggestions that the bills were brought in haste saying it is being sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament for further scrutiny even as MPs claimed the proposed legislations were transforming the country into a police state and making the Investigating Officer the "boss of Prime Minister".

Venugopal and Shah squared off as the senior Congress MP referred to his arrest in connection with a case saying the BJP leaders were claiming that the bills were meant to enhance morality in politics and asked whether he resigned taking morality into consideration.

The Home Minister shot back saying, "A fabricated case was slapped on me. Even before my arrest I had resigned and I did not take up any Constitutional post till my name was cleared by the courts. What are they teaching us about morality? I want morality to be enhanced in politics. I wish no one remains in a Constitutional post after facing allegations."

Venugopal said the bill is aimed at "sabotaging" the federal structure and to target the Opposition-ruled states.

Tewari said the bills "squarely destroys the basic structure" of the Constitution, as the rule of law makes it clear that a person is innocent until proven guilty. "These bills make an Investigating Officer the boss of the PM. It distorts Parliamentary democracy by displacing the will of people. This bill opens the doors for political misuse through arbitrary conduct...repeatedly frowned by the Supreme Court," he said.

He also said that the bills "throw out all Constitutional safeguards -- collective responsibility, judicial review, no confidence motion and disqualification -- to the wind. It is excessive, unnecessary, unconstitutional and it should be withdrawn".

Owaisi said the bills give executive agencies "free hand judge, jury and the executioner based on allegations and suspicions. This would leave the chief ministers and the ministers under the mercy of agencies. The government is creating a police state."

He said the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Prevention of Money Laundering Act could be misused to destabilise governments.

Premachandran asked what was the "undue haste" in bringing the bills. “It lacks bonafide. The malafide intention is to destabilise opposition-ruled governments."