Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, (DD) Contrary to speculation about the possible restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the Union government has instead tabled a bill in the Lok Sabha that provides for the removal of the chief minister or any minister if they remain in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
According to reports, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will move the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 alongside the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The inclusion of the J&K bill in the legislative agenda had sparked rumours of a statehood announcement, which were dispelled once the draft was made public.
The bill proposes to amend Section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. It stipulates that any minister, including the chief minister, who is arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on charges punishable with imprisonment of five years or more, shall be removed from office by the Lieutenant Governor on the 31st day.
If the chief minister himself is detained under such charges, he will be required to resign, failing which he will automatically cease to hold office the following day. However, the bill clarifies that once released, such a leader may be reappointed.
The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the legislation stresses the need for “probity in public life,” noting that ministers accused of serious offences could “hinder constitutional morality, principles of good governance, and diminish the constitutional trust reposed by people in them.”
Officials said the bill will now be referred to a joint committee of Parliament for further scrutiny.
The move comes at a politically sensitive time, as J&K’s political parties have repeatedly demanded statehood since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Instead of addressing that demand, the latest amendment highlights the Centre’s focus on ensuring accountability in the Union Territory’s governance framework(DD)