Parliamentary Panel Receives Support and Suggestions on Proposed Accountability Legislation

PTI, June 17, 2026, New Delhi: The joint committee of Parliament examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, on removal of PMs, CMs and ministers from office if they are detained for over 30 days on serious charges has received support and suggestions on the proposed legislation and found no resistance to its intent to decriminalise politics, panel chairperson and BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said on Wednesday.

The 31-member committee held a stakeholders' meet at the Delhi Secretariat with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, departments of Law and Home of the Delhi government, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and NGO Common Cause.

Addressing a press conference, Sarangi said that the stakeholders extended support to the bill and also submitted some written comments and suggestions.

Sarangi said the committee has held 11 meetings so far and visited nine states and Union Territories, including Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Punjab.

She claimed that states such as Telangana and Punjab, which are ruled by non-NDA parties, are among those who have expressed support for the spirit of the proposed legislation while suggesting certain modifications.

The proposed legislation seeks to decriminalise politics, prevent government being run from jail and strengthen accountability in public life, she said.

The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill and two related legislations — J-K Reorganisation (A) Bill, 2025, and The Government of UTs (A) Bill, 2025 — were tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 20, 2025.

One of the key provisions in the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill proposes that if the Prime Minister, a Chief Minister, a Union Minister or a State Minister is arrested for an offence carrying a punishment of five years or more and is not granted bail within 30 days, the person would cease to hold office.

The joint committee was constituted in November 2025 to examine the Bills.

Sarangi said the panel's interactions so far have indicated support rather than resistance to the intent of the bills introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2025.

"There have been useful suggestions and recommendations, but no opposition to the objective behind them," she said.

The panel, which has been boycotted by the opposition, also met Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who lauded the bills as an important initiative to reinforce accountability in public life.

She welcomed the chairperson and members, including K Laxman, Ujjwal Nikam, D K Aruna, Parshottam Rupala, Asaduddin Owaisi, Anurag Thakur, Brij Lal and Brijmohan Agrawal, among others, at the Secretariat.

"The proposed bills represent an important initiative towards reinforcing accountability, transparency and constitutional morality in public life," she said.

The primary objective of the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, currently under consideration, is to further strengthen public trust in individuals holding public office, she said.