In a stunning salvo with far-reaching and disruptive implications, the Narendra Modi government is to introduce on Wednesday a slew of amendment bills, including a Constitution amendment, to provide for the removal of the Prime Minister, chief ministers and ministers across the Centre, states and Union Territories arrested on serious charges for more than 30 consecutive days, even without conviction.

The multiple legislations proposed changes aren’t to be immediately voted on, but will unleash vociferous protests from the Opposition benches on the grounds that the measures can be misused to intimidate and destabilise non-NDA governments —short-circuit parliamentary and legislative procedures on how governments are made and fall, and simply invoke the proposed law.

The Centre will also table a Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025 and a Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha. These bills, along with one on online gaming, are to be referred to the joint committee of both Houses of Parliament through a separate motion, also to be introduced on Wednesday.

The objectives of the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill say there is no provision under the Constitution for the removal of a minister who is arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges.

Hence, there is a need to amend Articles 75, 164 and 239AA of the Constitution to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Prime Minister or a Union minister, the chief minister or other ministers in the states and the National Capital Territory
of Delhi.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi voiced the fears in a social media post.

Singhvi posted on X: “What a vicious circle! No guildelines for arrest followed! Arrests of opposition leaders rampant and disproportionate. New proposed law removes incumbent #CM etc immly on arrest. Best way to destabilise opposition is to unleash biased central agencies to arrest oppo CMs and despite being unable to defeat them electorally, remove them by arbitrary arrests!! And no ruling party incumbent CM ever touched!!”

The proposed amendment on Jammu and Kashmir concerns provisions related to the removal of a chief minister or a minister in case they have been under arrest for 30 consecutive days for violation of any law. The amendment will provide the legal framework for making such arrests.

Earlier, political circles in the capital and Jammu and Kashmir whirred with speculation over whether the incoming amendment concerning Jammu and Kashmir would be intended to grant statehood to the Union Territory, an open-ended promise that the Narendra Modi government has made.

The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah have been demanding restoration of statehood.

Omar, on his part, appeared cynically, and rightly, dismissive of any chance that New Delhi would grant statehood to the UT he heads. He put out a GIF on his X handle that featured a caricature clip of a heaving Snape, the dark magician of Harry Potter fictions, with a caption that read: “Please I can’t take any more of this.” Omar had announced a house-to-house signature campaign demanding statehood on Independence Day.

Jammu and Kashmir was shorn of the special provisions of Article 370 and reduced to a Union Territory and Ladakh severed from it by the Modi government on August 5, 2019. Since then, the most powerful office in the Union Territory has been the lieutenant governor’s. Though elected with a handsome majority, chief minister Omar’s exhorts to get statehood back for Jammu and Kashmir have found no takers with the powers in New Delhi.