Legislative Trojan horse: Kharge slams BJP over bill on removal of PM, CM, ministers

Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Monday alleged the BJP has strategically chipped away the integrity of elections, while asserting the "real endgame" may lie in the "Trojan Horse" of a bill proposing the removal of prime minister, chief ministers and ministers kept under arrest for 30 days straight on serious charges.

In a post on International Day of Democracy, he also alleged that in the past 11 years, a conspiratorial attempt has been made by the RSS and BJP to hollow out India's long-cherished and painstakingly built democracy.

"The BJP is coming for the voter directly. Electoral manipulation, dressed up as 'reform', is being used as a tool for snatching the all-important Right to Vote enshrined in our Constitution!" Kharge said on X.

From disenfranchising lakhs of people, especially vulnerable sections, through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar to the scandalous "vote chori" exposed by Rahul Gandhi, the BJP has steadily and strategically chipped away at the integrity of elections," Kharge claimed.

"The real endgame may lie in the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, a legislative Trojan Horse. This proposal lets the Centre topple elected state governments by labelling them corrupt, conveniently judged by agencies already under the BJP's grip," the Congress chief said.

"Why bother with elections when you can legally bulldoze elected Chief Ministers within 30 days, seems to be the message," he said.

Kharge added, "On this International Day of Democracy, let us reaffirm our pledge to save our Constitutional institutions from the clutches of RSS-BJP." Home Minister Amit Shah last month introduced in the Lok Sabha three bills for the removal of the 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.

The bills were sent by the House to a Joint Committee of Parliament.

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.

The bills have proposed that if the 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.