'Nothing wrong with it': Prashant Kishor backs Centre's Bill to remove jailed CMs, PM

Jan Suraaj founder and political strategist Prashant Kishor has backed the Centre’s move on the bill that seeks to remove the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers if they are jailed on serious criminal charges for 30 consecutive days.

“I think there is nothing wrong with the provisions of the Bill per se, people are questioning the intent behind it… The Bill has been sent to the Select Committee, safeguards that are necessary will be put in place,” Kishor said, countering RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s criticism.

“Perhaps Tejashwi Yadav understands politics better. I feel that if someone who holds a post is convicted and jailed, they should step down. When Lalu Yadav went to jail, he too stepped down as the CM. Why? He could have worked from jail itself. You cannot change your stand just like that with time, without any reason,” Kishor added.

RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, however, had slammed the set of bills — one each for the Union government, state governments, and Jammu & Kashmir — calling them a tool to “blackmail and torture” allies like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, whose support was crucial for the Modi government’s majority in Parliament.

Yadav alleged the Centre was using the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as pressure tactics ahead of the Bihar election, warning that allies could face arrest and automatic disqualification if they did not fall in line. “It has only one job… to blackmail. If PMLA cases are slapped, there can be no quick bail. These are torture tactics,” he said.

The opposition has strongly opposed the bills, which were presented in the Lok Sabha. Leaders cited the example of Arvind Kejriwal’s five-month jail stint last year, during which he was not convicted but would have been sacked under the new provisions.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi compared the move to “going back to medieval times,” while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it “draconian,” warning that any elected leader could be removed simply by being arrested.

The BJP, however, has defended the legislation, with Home Minister Amit Shah declaring, “Governments cannot be run from jail… it is unjust to the expectations with which the public elects their representatives.”