Amit Shah Cites Kejriwal Case to Justify Bills Allowing Removal of Jailed Ministers

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday invoked former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s case.

While defending three new bills that seek to remove any prime minister, chief minister, or minister who remains in jail for 30 consecutive days.

Shah questioned whether it was acceptable for leaders to continue governing from behind bars, pointing to Kejriwal’s time in custody. “Recently, a CM was running the government while imprisoned. Shouldn’t the Constitution be amended to prevent such situations?” his office said in a post on X.

Kejriwal, arrested in March last year in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam, became the first sitting CM in Indian history to be jailed while in office.

Shah insisted the bills were not aimed at any one individual or party. “In a democracy, morality must be upheld by both the ruling and opposition parties. This law will apply equally to BJP CMs and even the PM,” he stressed.

He further argued that the Constitution’s framers never anticipated leaders refusing to resign after being jailed. “When the Constitution was drafted, it was never imagined that such shamelessness would prevail,” he said.

The three bills — the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — were tabled in Parliament earlier this week.

If passed, they would mandate the automatic removal of any PM, CM, or minister held in custody for 30 days in an offence carrying at least five years’ minimum punishment. On the 31st day, the President or Governor would be empowered to dismiss them.