Arvind Kejriwal's Questions To Amit Shah On 'Sack Jailed Ministers' Law

Hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the proposed law to remove ministers accused of serious offences if they are jailed for more than a month, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal hit back, questioning if those who frame others in false cases and are acquitted later would also face the same action.

Taking a swipe at the BJP accepting rival parties' turncoats, many of them facing serious corruption charges, Mr Kejriwal said on X, "The person who accepts leaders accused of serious crimes, clears the cases against them and names them minister, Deputy Chief Minister or Chief Minister, should such a Prime Minister or minister resign?"

"If someone is jailed in a false case and is later acquitted, how many years in jail should a minister face for levelling false allegations?" he asked.

जो व्यक्ति गंभीर गुनाहों के मुज़रिमों को अपनी पार्टी में शामिल करके उनके सारे केस रफ़ा दफ़ा करके उन्हें मंत्री, उपमुख्यमंत्री या मुख्यमंत्री बना देता है, क्या ऐसे मंत्री/प्रधान मंत्री को भी अपना पद छोड़ना चाहिए? ऐसे व्यक्ति को कितने साल की जेल होनी चाहिए?

अगर किसी पर झूठा केस… https://t.co/cK3kNZrY14

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 25, 2025

During an interview with news agency ANI, the Home Minister had asked if a Prime Minister, a Chief Minister, or a minister should be allowed to work if he is jailed in a serious case. Defending the Constitution Amendment Bill, which has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Mr Shah said this draft law does not apply to ministers accused of minor offences. "But those who face corruption or are accused in cases that attract more than five five-year jail term, is it right if they run the government from jail?" he asked.

"I want to ask the entire nation and the Opposition. Can a Chief Minister, Prime Minister, or any leader run the country from jail? Does that suit the dignity of our democracy? My party and I completely reject the idea that this country cannot be governed without the person who is sitting there. This will not affect anyone's majority in the Parliament or the Assembly. One member will go, other members of the party will run the government, and when they get bail, they can come and take the oath again. What is the objection in this?" he said.

NDTV earlier reported that the Centre decided to bring the proposed law to Parliament after Mr Kejriwal did not resign following his arrest in a corruption case last year.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested in June in a corruption case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. The AAP had then made it clear that he would retain the top post, and his colleagues in the cabinet ran the government on his behalf. Only after he was granted bail in September did he step down and said he would return to the post after the verdict of the "people's court", meaning the Assembly election. AAP lost the Delhi election earlier this year.

The proposed law states that any minister, Chief Minister, or the Prime Minister, who is arrested and is in custody for over 30 days after being accused of an offence punishable by a jail term of five years or more, shall be removed from office.

Opposition parties have been alleging the misuse of central probe agencies, and said this new piece of legislation would only take India closer to a "police state".