Modi Targets TMC Over Corruption, Defends Bill to Bar Jailed Leaders from Holding Posts

Why was Bill brought at the dead of night, questions Mahua

PTI | Kolkata | Aug 22, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Opposition INDIA bloc, including the TMC, of shielding corruption and resisting legislative moves aimed at ensuring probity in public life.

Addressing a rally here, Modi made indirect references to the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced in Parliament earlier this week, which seeks to bar Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.

Citing the provisions of the proposed law, the PM said:

"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."

Targeting the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal, the Prime Minister said:

"Two TMC ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts."

He was referring to former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, and Jyoti Priya Mallick, arrested in the ration distribution scam.

"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," the Prime Minister thundered.

Defending his government's move, Modi said the new Bill was necessary to plug glaring loopholes in the system.

"Look at the situation, nowadays some people have stooped so low that they are trying to run the government from jail," Modi added.

The Prime Minister mounted a blistering attack on the TMC, accusing it of promoting infiltration in West Bengal to fulfil its "hunger for power", and asserted that the party has to be voted out of power to end illegal immigration and ensure the state's development.

Modi warned that the border state was staring at a "social crisis" with its demography being altered, land of farmers and tribals encroached upon, and the economy put under strain owing to infiltration.

Addressing a packed rally at Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas district, he urged the people of Bengal to utilise their votes in next year’s assembly polls as a weapon to oust both infiltrators and the ruling dispensation, alleging that the TMC’s "politics of appeasement" had endangered the state’s security and throttled its development.

Hitting back at the Prime Minister, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday said that Modi should answer why the Union government brought Bills for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers on arrest for 30 days in the "dead of the night."

The party slammed the ruling BJP over the Centre's dues for West Bengal and alleged discrimination against Bengali migrants and language.

TMC Parliamentarian Mahua Moitra said that the Prime Minister should answer some questions, the first being the requirement for bringing Bills providing for the removal of the PM, CMs, and ministers who are arrested for over 30 days on serious charges.