Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill and asserted that jailed ministers cannot hold office.
Addressing a public meeting at Dum Dum Central Jail ground, PM Modi lambasted the INDIA bloc parties, including Trinamool Congress, for opposing the bill and shielding corrupt leaders.
“We decided to bring in a law that will not allow a corrupt chief minister, or even the Prime Minister, to hold office, if he or she spends 30 days in jail. But when we brought in such a law, ‘INDI’ bloc parties like Congress and Trinamool Congress started opposing it. They got angry because they don’t want to be punished for their crimes,” said the Prime Minister.
At the same time, he also took a dig at former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. “It is a shame that even a chief minister, after going to jail, has been running the government from there.”
Shifting his focus to Trinamool Congress, PM Modi said even after going to jail, two TMC ministers refused to step down from their posts.
“Two TMC ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts. Cash worth crores was recovered from the house of one such minister. It was in plain sight the kind of corruption they were part of. Yet they want to hold on to their post. Should they be allowed to carry on? Shouldn’t they be put behind bars? 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 PM said.
It was an apparent reference to former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested in connection with the teachers’ recruitment scam, and Jyoti Priya Mallick, who was arrested in the ration distribution scam.
“For the past 11 years, the country has been waging a determined battle against corruption. In this regard, we have taken a significant step forward by introducing an anti-corruption Bill in the Lok Sabha. Under existing laws, if a government employee is caught and incarcerated without securing bail within 50 hours, they are automatically suspended from their position. But no such provisions exist for a chief minister, a prime minister, or a minister,” he said.
On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days or over an offence that carries a jail term of five years or more, even if not convicted.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack against the Trinamool Congress by saying crime and corruption have become the identity of the Mamata Banerjee-led party and asserted that only the BJP can bring ‘asol paribartan’ (real change) in West Bengal.
Addressing a public meeting at Dum Dum Central Jail ground near Kolkata, PM Modi said, “There is only one cry in Bengal now. TMC ke sorao, Bangla ke bachao (remove TMC to save Bengal). Today, crime and corruption have become the identity of TMC. Unless TMC is removed from power, the real change cannot take place. Real change means providing security to women, putting corrupted leaders in jail and not in ministry and improving the lives of the people.”
The Prime Minister also accused the Mamata Banerjee government of amassing central funds meant for the welfare of the people.
“There is a need to have a BJP government in West Bengal to usher in overall development of the state. Funds sent for development projects are being looted here by the TMC. The fund is not used for the welfare of the people. But the same is used on TMC cadres. That’s why West Bengal is lagging behind in development. People are now saying that ‘TMC Jabe, BJP asbe’. (BJP will come, once TMC is ousted),” he said.
The Prime Minister also criticised the TMC government for creating roadblocks before the Centre in implementing development projects.
“TMC has become an enemy of development. The TMC government has refused to be part of the Centre’s smart-city mission. TMC’s mission is to stop the BJP here and its government’s schemes. Will this kind of politics help Bengal prosper? Will this help anyone? Give the BJP a chance in Bengal. We will usher in overall development in the state,” he said.
He further criticised the Mamata Banerjee government for supporting infiltrators in the state due to its appeasement politics and asserted that only the BJP can stop infiltration in Bengal.
“We want to give employment to our citizens. We want to help them. But we won’t allow infiltrators who are torturing our people to live in the country. But it is unfortunate that TMC, along with INDI alliance partners, are supporting the infiltrators for their appeasement politics. Demography is being changed in border areas,” he said.
The Prime Minister said those who are living in the country by making false identity cards will have to leave the country. “For that, TMC needs to go from power, as it supports such people,” he said.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 5,200 crore, including three new stretches of the Kolkata Metro, and an elevated corridor in adjacent Howrah.
PM Modi visited the Jessore Road Metro Station, where he flagged off the Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar Metro service. In addition, through video conferencing, he also flagged off the Sealdah-Esplanade Metro service and the Beleghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Metro service. He also undertook a Metro ride from Jessore Road Metro Station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar and back.
“It is a matter of pride that India boasts the third-largest Metro network in the world. Remarkably, prior to 2014, the country had only 250 km of Metro routes. Today, that figure has exceeded 1,000 km. This marks a big step towards improved urban mobility and seamless connectivity… Cities like Kolkata are a rich identity of both India’s history and our future,” the PM said, after the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
(IANS)
