A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, is expected to adopt its report on July 17, paving the way for the proposed legislation to be taken up during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
According to sources familiar with the deliberations, the committee is likely to retain the Bill's most debated provision, which proposes the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and other ministers if they are arrested and remain in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days in cases involving offences punishable with five years or more in prison.
The Bill, introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in August last year, has been under examination by the 31-member panel headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi.
Safeguards against misuse
While the core provision is expected to remain unchanged, the committee is likely to recommend safeguards to prevent political misuse of the proposed law.
Sources said members across party lines broadly agreed that additional protections should be incorporated to ensure the legislation cannot be used for political vendetta through motivated arrests. The panel is also expected to recommend a threshold regarding the nature and gravity of offences to which the proposed provisions would apply.
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Under the Bill, a minister facing charges carrying a punishment of at least five years' imprisonment would cease to hold office after being detained for 30 consecutive days. The removal could be ordered by the President or the Governor on the advice of the Prime Minister or Chief Minister, respectively, or take effect automatically on the 31st day of detention.
Opposition likely to record dissent
The proposed legislation has drawn strong criticism from Opposition parties, several of whose members boycotted the committee's proceedings, alleging that the exercise was unlikely to accommodate their concerns.
However, members of the ruling coalition have defended the proposal, arguing that a person held in custody for 30 days has sufficient opportunity to seek bail and that the measure does not violate the principles of natural justice.
Opposition members on the panel are expected to submit dissent notes when the report is adopted.
The Bill is likely to be introduced for discussion and consideration during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, expected to commence around July 20, where it is set to trigger a sharp political debate over accountability, federalism and safeguards against misuse of criminal law.
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