SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday proposed that three critical pieces of legislation—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—be referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament for detailed scrutiny. The motion was adopted by the House following a heated debate, as reported by The Economic Times.
The move came amid vocal opposition protests, with MPs criticising the government’s approach and arguing that the bills could undermine the powers of elected governments. Regardless, the House approved the government’s proposal to send all three bills to a Joint Committee consisting of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, according to Business Standard.
Following the adoption of the motion, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 5 PM, with further debate expected to resume then.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill seeks to create a mechanism to remove the Prime Minister, Union ministers, chief ministers, and state ministers who are arrested or detained in serious criminal cases. The associated bills address similar provisions for Union Territories and for the Jammu and Kashmir administration. According to The New Indian Express, this marks a significant attempt to bring uniformity to procedures governing the removal of public officeholders detained on grave charges.
The government emphasised the importance of a thorough review, while opposition parties questioned the timing and purpose of these changes, viewing them as a potential threat to federalism. The issue remains at the centre of an intense parliamentary confrontation, with final decisions deferred until the committee submits its report in a future session.
