Narendra Modi said that two TMC ministers, despite going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly defended the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill even as he accused the opposition INDIA bloc, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), of shielding corrupt leaders.
While addressing a rally in Kolkata, PM Modi highlighted the provisions of the proposed law, which bars prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more. Modi was in West Bengal where he laid foundation stone of 6-lane elevated Kona Expressway and inaugurated 3 metro routes in Kolkata.
Targeting Bengal’s ruling party, PM Modi said, “Two TMC ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts.”. He was alluding to ex-ministers Partha Chatterjee and Jyoti Priya Mallick, arrested in the teachers’ recruitment and ration distribution scams, respectively.
“We decided to bring in a law that provides for dismissing a corrupt chief minister, or even the prime minister, if he or she spends 30 days in jail. But when we brought in a stringent law, the TMC, the Congress started protesting. They are angry because they are scared of facing punishment for their own sins,” the Prime Minister added.
In an apparent reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Modi remarked, “It is a shame that even a chief minister, after going to jail, has been running government from there.” “Those who are arrested on corruption charges, how can they be part of the government and remain in their posts? Modi will not allow this,” Modi said.
Defending the Bill, he said the legislation was necessary to prevent leaders from exploiting gaps in the system. “Look at the situation, nowadays some people have stooped so low that they are trying to run the government from jail,” he said. “For the past 11 years, the country has been waging a determined battle against corruption. In this regard, we have taken a significant step forward by introducing an anti-corruption Bill in the Lok Sabha. Under existing laws, if a government employee is caught and incarcerated without securing bail within 50 hours, they are automatically suspended from their position,” Modi said.
“However, no such provisions exist for a chief minister, a prime minister, or a minister. This loophole has allowed some leaders to stoop so low that they attempt to govern from behind bars.”
