The Lok Sabha descended into chaos on August 20 after Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three sweeping bills that would dislodge Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and ministers from office if they remain in custody for 30 consecutive days on charges carrying a minimum five-year sentence.

The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill triggered a stormy showdown. Opposition MPs tore copies of the legislation and hurled them towards Shah’s bench amid chants branding the measures “draconian” and “anti-democratic.”

As Shah moved for the bills to be referred to a joint parliamentary committee, Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee was seen flinging papers towards the Home Minister. Though Banerjee later denied tearing the bills, visuals from inside the House showed shredded sheets landing near Shah’s seat.

The opposition has accused the government of using the legislation as a political weapon. “This bill violates the basic principle of the Constitution,” said Congress MP K C Venugopal, invoking Shah’s own 2010 arrest in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. Shah retorted sharply, insisting he had resigned on moral grounds and only returned to office after being cleared by the courts in 2014.

The verbal duel set the tone for a fierce debate that saw AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi compare the proposals to “Gestapo tactics,” warning they would turn India into a “police state.” Congress MP Manish Tewari called the bills “squarely destructive” of constitutional safeguards, cautioning they would give executive agencies unchecked power to topple elected governments.

The draft laws mark a radical shift: for the first time, any Union or State minister facing serious criminal charges and jailed for a month would automatically lose office on the 31st day. They may, however, be reappointed upon release.

The government’s move follows high-profile controversies in recent years, including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Tamil Nadu minister V. Senthil Balaji holding on to their posts while in jail.

For now, the proposals have sharpened the rift between treasury and opposition benches, with tempers fraying and the spectre of political vendetta looming large over one of the most consequential constitutional changes in decades.