New Delhi, August 20, 2025 : The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has sharply criticised the central government’s move to introduce three new bills in Parliament, alleging that the legislation is designed to destabilise opposition-led state governments by misusing central investigative agencies.
The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
According to the provisions outlined, any Prime Minister, Union Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister of a State or Union Territory who is arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on charges carrying a minimum sentence of five years will automatically lose their position on the 31st day.
TMC leaders have expressed strong opposition to the proposed legislation. Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating “new tricks” to remove elected opposition leaders. “A person is a criminal only when convicted by a court of law. Until then, they’re merely an accused. Arrest by Modi-Shah’s central agencies is not proof of guilt,” Gokhale stated on social media.
TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra echoed these concerns, warning that the bills bypass both the federal structure and the judiciary. “The Union government can use ED and CBI to arrest elected opposition CMs on fabricated charges and sack them without a court conviction,” she said.
TMC Rajya Sabha Leader Derek O’Brien also condemned the move, describing it as a “dead-of-night stunt” by the Modi-led coalition, which currently holds 239 seats in Parliament. He accused the government of attempting to “mock and disrupt” parliamentary norms.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move a motion to refer the bills to a Joint Committee of Parliament for further deliberation.
The controversy has sparked a fresh debate over the balance of power between the Centre and states, with opposition parties warning of a potential erosion of democratic and federal principles.
