Monday, 25th August: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of displaying “shifting moral standards” on criminal accountability in politics. Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, Shah contrasted Gandhi’s opposition to the proposed legislation with his 2013 decision to tear up an ordinance issued by the UPA government.
India Today reported that the 2013 ordinance, which had been cleared by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet, sought to save convicted legislators from automatic disqualification. Gandhi had strongly condemned the move in a much-reported press conference as "nonsense that should be torn up and thrown away," an act that embarrassed the government but enhanced his anti-corruption image at the time.
Shah juxtaposed that stance with Gandhi’s present resistance to the 130th Amendment, which seeks the automatic removal of a Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister who remains in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges, per NDTV.
Shah asked, “Morality cannot change after three election defeats. Morality should remain as constant as the Sun and the Moon.”
The bill was defended by Shah, who asserted that its provisions would cross party lines, even for the ruling BJP's leaders. The Times of India quoted him challenging the Opposition: "Can a Prime Minister or Chief Minister run the government from jail?" The purpose of the law, he claimed, was to "maintain the dignity of Indian democracy" and stop the government from being operated from prison.
Congress party leaders have maintained that the government was employing the bill as a political tool against its rivals. Rahul's moral character was called into question by Shah's rejoinder, which pointed out how his current stance contradicted his previous statements.
As the disagreement between Shah and Gandhi reignited a ten-year-old dispute that is still crucial to the discussion of moral authority, leadership, and responsibility, the 130th Amendment Bill has had a profound impact on India's political leadership.
