Battle of Narratives

The eruption in the Lok Sabha over the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill reflects more than the usual Opposition-versus-government theatrics; it raises troubling questions about the trajectory of our democracy.

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The proposed amendment, tabled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeks to disqualify the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers from office if they spend more than 30 days in jail for an offence carrying a potential sentence of at least five years. On the surface, this may appear as an attempt to uphold constitutional morality and restore integrity in public life. Indeed, the draft legislation couches itself in lofty ideals, noting that ministers must be "beyond suspicion" to sustain public trust. Yet, the deeper concern lies in the absence of conviction as a precondition. Removal would be triggered not by judicial proof of guilt but by an allegation leading to detention—leaving the door wide open for misuse. In a political climate where central agencies are routinely accused of being deployed against adversaries, the risk of weaponising the law for partisan ends is not hypothetical but very real. The Opposition's immediate reaction—that this Bill would hasten the drift toward a police state—cannot be dismissed as mere exaggeration.