Overview
- The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill would require removal of a Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and other ministers if arrested on offences punishable by five years or more and unable to secure bail within 30 days.
- Four legal experts—Justice (Retd) Dinesh Maheshwari, Law Commission Chairperson Anju Rathi Rana, Prof G.S. Bajpai and Prof Sri Krishna Deva Rao—appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
- Parliamentary sources said the experts supported the proposal in principle while flagging constitutional, drafting and safeguard issues that need clarifications.
- Committee members sought clarity on whether the statutory office of the Leader of the Opposition falls within the bill’s scope, a question that remains unresolved.
- The 31-member panel includes only a handful of opposition MPs as several major parties have boycotted the committee, and a proposal to hear non-member party leaders did not find consensus.