Key Points

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly criticized the Modi government's introduction of the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill. He argued that the BJP government lacks moral authority due to its systematic misuse of investigative agencies against political opponents. The Chief Minister characterized the legislation as both undemocratic and anti-federal, claiming it empowers the central government to destabilize elected state administrations. Siddaramaiah demanded that the government first restore autonomy to constitutional bodies before pushing through what he views as draconian laws.

Key Points: Siddaramaiah Slams Modi Government Constitution Bill Moral Authority

  • Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of weaponizing CBI and ED against Opposition parties nationwide
  • Calls the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill undemocratic and deeply anti-federal in nature
  • Claims the bill gives Centre more power to destabilize elected state governments
  • Demands restoration of autonomy for constitutional bodies before new legislation
3 min read

Modi government has no moral authority to introduce Constitution Amendment Bill: Karnataka CM

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah criticizes Modi government's 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, calling it undemocratic and anti-federal while accusing BJP of weaponizing agencies.

"The Modi Government has no moral authority to introduce the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill when its own record is one of systematically misusing institutions - Siddaramaiah"

New Delhi, August 20

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday criticised the government for introducing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, saying that the Modi government has no moral authority to introduce the legislation.

"The Modi Government has no moral authority to introduce the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill when its own record is one of systematically misusing institutions," he said.

Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of weaponising agencies such as CBI, ED against the Opposition.

"From the CBI, ED and Income Tax to Governors and other constitutional authorities, every arm of the state is being weaponised against the Opposition - and there is ample proof of this across the country," the Chief Minister said.

He further alleged that this bill brought by the BJP government is "undemocratic" and "anti-federal".

"Any bill brought by such a government will naturally be viewed with distrust. This is not just undemocratic - it is also deeply anti-federal, because it gives the Centre and its Governors more power to destabilise elected state governments," Siddaramaiah said.

"Instead of bulldozing Parliament with draconian laws, the Modi Government should first restore the autonomy of our constitutional bodies and respect the spirit of federalism," he added.

Earlier today, the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 were referred to the JPC after Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced them in the Lok Sabha today.

Amit Shah said in post on X that on account of the Modi government's commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace, today with the Lok Sabha speaker's permission, he tabled constitutional amendment bills that will prevent people from holding important constitutional positions like Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Union or State Minister while in jail.

"The purpose is to elevate the declining moral standards and maintaining integrity in politics. The three bills will bring into effect the following regulations: 1. No person who is arrested and in jail can function as Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister in the Union or State Government. 2. When the Constitution was framed, its makers could not have imagined that in the future, political leaders would refuse to resign on moral grounds even after being arrested," he said.

"In recent years, the country has witnessed shocking instances where chief ministers or ministers continued to run governments from jail without resigning. 3. The bills also provide that an accused politician must obtain bail within 30 days of arrest. If they fail to secure bail within 30 days, then on the 31st day, either the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister will have to remove them; otherwise, by law, they will cease to remain eligible to function," he added.

Amit Shah said once granted bail through due legal process, such leaders may be reinstated to their positions.

"Now the people of the country need to decide: Is it right for a minister, chief minister, or prime minister to run a government from jail?" he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Siddaramaiah has a point about misuse of agencies. We've seen how ED and CBI are used selectively against opposition leaders. But the bill itself seems necessary to maintain political morality.
Amit G
This is classic BJP strategy - bring a good law but implement it selectively. First stop targeting opposition with false cases, then bring such bills. Otherwise it's just political vendetta.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has lived in India for 5 years, I find this fascinating. The principle is good - no one should govern from jail. But the implementation must be fair and not weaponized against political opponents.
N
Nikhil C
‍♂️ Another bill that sounds good on paper but will be misused. First fix the investigation agencies, ensure they work independently, then bring such laws. Otherwise it's just giving more power to misuse the system.
M
Meera T
The 30-day bail provision is reasonable. If someone is truly innocent, they should get bail within a month. This will prevent political vendetta while ensuring corrupt leaders don't rule from behind bars.

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