New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday invoked his own arrest in the 2010 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case to defend the Narendra Modi government’s move to introduce constitutional amendment bills.
He criticised the Congress for allegedly trapping him in a fabricated case, saying his resignation before arrest and subsequent acquittal illustrated the moral accountability the new bills aim to enforce. In his post, he wrote, “Now the people of the country need to decide: Is it right for a minister, chief minister, or prime minister to run a government from jail?” He explained that the bills are designed to ensure that individuals facing arrest or detention cannot continue running governments from behind bars.
Accused politicians must secure bail within 30 days of arrest, failing which they automatically lose office, although they can be reinstated once granted bail through due legal process. “When the Constitution was framed, its makers could not have imagined that in the future, political leaders would refuse to resign on moral grounds even after being arrested,” Shah wrote, explaining the moral imperative behind the reforms.
The Home Minister also positioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision as one of accountability, noting that the Modi government was voluntarily bringing its leaders under the ambit of law. He contrasted this with the Congress-led Opposition, which he accused of resisting reforms to “cling to power” and protect leaders accused of corruption.
Shah further invoked the controversial 39th Constitutional Amendment introduced under then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which insulated the PM’s office from judicial scrutiny, saying, While the Congress’s work culture and policy have been to place the prime minister above the law, the BJP’s policy is to bring our own prime minister, ministers, and chief ministers under the ambit of law.
Addressing personal attacks by Congress MP KC Venugopal over his arrest in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, Shah said, I had resigned even before being arrested. I did not hold any constitutional position until the court fully acquitted me. The fake case against me was dismissed by the court with clear observation that it was motivated by political vendetta.
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