KC Venugopal questions Amit Shah on morality, Shah fires back over past resignation. (Photo: ANI)
A heated exchange occurred in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday when Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader KC Venugopal exchanged a debate over the “morality” of political leaders as Shah was tabling controversial bills against elected representatives who were arrested on serious charges.
The sparring was following Shah presenting three bills of significant weight 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. The bills provided that the Prime Minister, Union ministers, chief ministers and state and Union Territory ministers shall quit office if held in detention for 30 consecutive days in connection with a charge that entails at least a five-year prison term if convicted.
In the debate, Congress MP KC Venugopal challenged the credentials of the Home Minister on morals. “This bill is to undermine the federal system and the foundational principles of the Constitution. BJP leaders say it introduces morality into politics. Can I ask a question to the Home Minister when he was Home Minister in Gujarat, he was arrested. Did he maintain morality at that time?” Venugopal snapped.
Amit Shah retorted with a hard-hitting reply, stating, “I want to set the record straight. Fake charges were made against me, but I worked according to morality and ethics. I quit and didn’t take on any constitutional position until cleared of all suspicion. They are attempting to teach us morality? I had quit prior to arrest.”
The bills have been denounced by the opposition, such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as draconian and anti-democratic. “Tomorrow any chief minister could be arrested for 30 days without being convicted and unseated. That is purely anti-constitutional and unfortunate,” she stated.
The government is maintaining that the law aims to bolster probity in public life by citing examples of chief ministers such as former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji remaining in office even after serious allegations.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
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