Amit Shah Justifies Bill Against Jailed Leaders in Power

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Home Minister says the bill will uphold political morality, prevent jailed Prime Ministers, CMs, and Ministers from running governments

By TRH Political Desk

NEW DELHI, August 20, 2025 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said he has introduced a Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha that seeks to bar jailed political leaders from continuing in office as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister at the Centre and in states.

In a statement posted on X, Shah said the move reflects both the Modi government’s commitment against political corruption and the public’s growing anger over leaders accused of serious offences continuing in power from jail.

“The objective of this bill is to restore morality and purity in public life,” Shah wrote, adding that the law would ensure that no individual under arrest could misuse constitutional positions for personal or political gain.

According to the bill:

No person can govern from jail as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister.
Arrested leaders must secure bail within 30 days, failing which they will automatically become legally ineligible to continue in office.
Leaders who later obtain bail may be reinstated.

Shah said India’s Constitution-makers never imagined a scenario where leaders would refuse to resign after arrest. However, in recent years, some Chief Ministers and Ministers have allegedly run governments from jail, a practice he called “immoral and unethical.”

Responding to opposition criticism, Shah recalled that when he himself was arrested in what he called a “false, politically motivated case”, he had resigned before being taken into custody and refrained from holding office until cleared by the courts. He contrasted this with what he described as the Congress party’s “unethical traditions” since the Indira Gandhi era.

Shah accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of shielding corrupt leaders, saying their “disruptive opposition” to the bill exposed their double standards. “While Prime Minister Modi has brought himself and his colleagues under the purview of law, Congress has historically tried to place Prime Ministers above the law,” he added.

Citing the example of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shah recalled how Congress once tried to protect him through an ordinance that Rahul Gandhi himself had opposed, but is now seen sharing stage with him.

The Home Minister said the bill will be examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed deliberations before being taken forward.

“This is not about politics, but about the ethical foundations of democracy,” Shah asserted, urging citizens to decide whether leaders should be allowed to govern from behind bars.

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