Gayaji: Defending the Constitution amendment bill introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that empowers the Centre to dismiss any minister who is jailed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there should be no double standards when it comes to accountability in public office.
Addressing a rally in Gaya, Bihar, Modi pointed out that if a government employee is imprisoned for 50 hours, they are automatically suspended from duty, regardless of their position. “Be it a driver, a clerk or a peon, if a government employee is imprisoned for 50 hours, then he is suspended automatically. But a Chief Minister, a Minister, or even a Prime Minister can continue to remain in office even from jail. Why should there be such a rule?” he asked.
Taking a swipe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was imprisoned in the liquor policy case, Modi said, “It is surprising that the Chief Minister of a state performed his duties from jail and signed the files even after being put behind bars in a corruption case, we saw how government orders were being issued from jail. If leaders have such an attitude, how can we fight corruption?”
"Could anyone holding high positions be allowed to continue in office from jail in similar circumstances," he asked.
The Prime Minister said the NDA government has brought a law to strengthen the fight against corruption and underlined that even the Prime Minister is not exempt from its provisions.
“The NDA government has brought a law against corruption, and the Prime Minister also comes under its purview,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday introduced three bills in the Lower House, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bill seeks to remove the Prime Minister or chief ministers facing corruption or serious offence charges if they remain in detention for 30 consecutive days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "No one even PM, CMs or any minister of the Centre or states and union Territories" can function after being put behind bars for serious offences like corruption.
"We have brought a bill in the parliament that restricts ministers from offering service if they remained in jail for more than 30 days on charges of corruptions or any other serious charge," Modi said, adding that anyone holding high position as mentioned in the bill would have to procure bail within 30 days of arrest, failing which the person concerned would have no option but to resign from the post. "It was surprising that Congress, RJD, and other opposition leaders were opposing the bill," he remarked.
"We understand why leaders of opposition parties are apprehensive of the bill," he said, adding that some opposition leaders were involved in corruption cases and thus objected to it.
