A lively verbal duel was witnessed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress MP KC Venugopal. The atmosphere electrified when the central government introduced three bills stipulating that if the Prime Minister or Chief Minister is jailed for 30 days in a serious case, they would be removed from office.
KC Venugopal's Attack
As political tensions soared in parliament, KC Venugopal launched a personal attack on Amit Shah, referencing his arrest in the 2010 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Venugopal questioned the morality of Shah's actions during his tenure as Gujarat’s Home Minister following his arrest. This sparked chaos in the assembly.
Amit Shah's Rebuttal
In a swift counterattack, Amit Shah assertively responded. Despite being embroiled in a false case, he resigned from his position and abstained from assuming any constitutional role until he was acquitted. Shah challenged Venugopal, questioning if he needed a lesson in morality, prompting a sharp reaction from NDA leaders.
It is noteworthy that after his 2010 arrest by the CBI, Shah resigned from his ministerial position in Gujarat. He spent three months in jail before being released on bail, and was acquitted by a special CBI court in 2014 due to lack of evidence.
Opposition's Uproar, Bills Torn and Thrown
As Amit Shah suggested forwarding the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, the Union Territory Governance (Amendment) Bill, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill to a joint committee, opposition MPs moved to the well of the house, chanting slogans. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee tore copies of the bills and hurled them towards Shah, though he later denied the act.
Owaisi Claims Efforts to Turn Nation into 'Police State'
The AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi accused the government of attempting to transform the country into a police state, which, according to him, grants agencies unwarranted power as judge and executioner, posing a threat to elected governments. Owaisi drew parallels with Hitler's Gestapo, while Congress leader Manish Tewari criticized the bills as attacks on constitutional basics, foreseeing increased political misuse of agencies.
