PM-CM removal bill, Rajnath singh privilege row set to dominate Monsoon session of Parliament

The Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled to run from July 20 to August 13, is expected to witness intense political and legislative battles, with the proposed Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 and a breach-of-privilege row involving Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emerging as key flashpoints.

The spotlight is likely to be on the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, which proposes the automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Union or state ministers from office if they remain in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days in cases involving serious offences. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Bill is expected to adopt its report on July 17, ahead of the session. Sources indicate the panel is likely to retain the controversial provision while recommending safeguards to prevent its misuse through politically motivated prosecutions.

The proposal has triggered a sharp political debate. The government has argued that the legislation is intended to strengthen public accountability and curb criminalisation in public office. Opposition parties, however, contend that the measure violates the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” and could be misused to destabilise elected governments through arrests before conviction.

As a constitutional amendment, the Bill requires a special majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha under Article 368, and is also expected to require ratification by at least half of the state legislatures before it can become law. Although the ruling NDA has improved its numbers in Parliament following recent defections and by-elections, it is still expected to require support from regional parties or Opposition abstentions to secure passage.

The Opposition is also preparing to raise a breach-of-privilege issue against Rajnath Singh over his statements during a parliamentary discussion on Operation Sindoor. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal has submitted a privilege notice, alleging that the Defence Minister misled the Lok Sabha regarding military casualties during the operation. The government has rejected the allegation, maintaining that Singh’s remarks have been quoted out of context and referred to a specific phase of the operation. The admissibility of the notice will be decided by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Besides these issues, the government is expected to push its legislative agenda, while the Opposition is likely to raise concerns over inflation, unemployment, internal security and other matters of public importance, setting the stage for a politically charged Monsoon Session.