Parliament panel seeks changes to Bill on removal of PM, CMs and Ministers after 30 days in jail

📌 Summary:

• A Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill has recommended replacing automatic "removal" of a PM, CM or Minister after 30 consecutive days in judicial custody with "suspension"
• In both cases, the immediate consequence is that the public functionary demits (leaves) office
• The panel is headed by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi; most Opposition parties declined to join it, arguing the Bill was driven by "malicious intent"
• Government rationale: the amendment seeks to fill a vacuum where public functionaries continue in office during prolonged incarceration

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Polity — constitutional amendment process, accountability of the executive, criminalisation of politics, and Centre-Opposition dynamics in law-making

📝 Prelims Facts:

• The Bill is the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill
• It proposes consequences for a PM/CM/Minister held in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days
• Constitutional amendment bills are examined via Joint Parliamentary Committees before passage

🔑 Key Term: Judicial custody — detention of an accused in jail under the authority of a court (distinct from police custody), pending investigation or trial