Congress general secretary KC Venugopal 
Politics

Proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill is against principles of natural justice, says Satheesan

The proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill that provides legal provisions to remove any chief minister or ministers if they are jailed for 30 days on criminal charges is against the basic principles of Indian laws, and the opposition will strongly protest against this, Congress leader V D Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram | The proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill that provides legal provisions to remove any chief minister or ministers if they are jailed for 30 days on criminal charges is against the basic principles of Indian laws, and the opposition will strongly protest against this, Congress leader V D Satheesan said here on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters, Satheesan, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, said as per the existing laws, a person is guilty of an offence only when he or she is convicted by a court of law.

"Piloting this bill itself is against natural justice. It is against the principles of law, basic principles of law, because when a person is convicted by a court after a long procedure of trial, then only he/she will be a convicted person; till then there is a feeling that he/she is an innocent person," Satheesan said.

He said the prosecution has to prove a person guilty of an offence in a court beyond doubt; then only he/she become a convict.

"Any government can initiate cases against any minister. Especially the Enforcement Directorate is very controversial; the CBI is very controversial; they can initiate cases against any chief minister in the opposition or any minister in the opposition, and in ED cases the court will remand the person, whoever it is," Satheesan said.

He said this bill provides legal power to remove such ministers.

"This is against the basic principles of law and against natural justice, and we will protest against this," he added.

The remarks came as the government is planning to introduce three bills in Parliament on Wednesday for the removal of a prime minister, a union minister, a chief minister or a minister of a state or Union Territory when arrested or detained on serious criminal charges for 30 days in a row.

If any one of them is arrested and detained in custody for consecutive 30 days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their job on the 31st day.

These 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

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