New Delhi [India], August 25 : Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shahzad Poonawalla on Monday targeted the opposition over their protest against the Constitution Amendment Bill stating that they don't support "morality" but nirlajjta (shamelessness).
"When the whole country has welcomed the introduction of this weapon of morality and good governance, a handful of opposition parties are openly saying that they do not stand with morality but with shamelessness... a handful of opposition which says 'Hum toh Nirlajjta (shamelessness) ke Saath', 'Hum toh Power ke Saath'," Shehzad Poonawalla told reporters.
The BJP leader further slammed the opposition stating that they boycotted the Joint Parliamentary Committee over the Constitution Amendment Bill because they sat with those people whom they wanted to sit in Tihar jail.
Taking an indirect dig at former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Poonawalla said that they ran the government from Tihar jail for 150 days and now want to bring a revolution in politics.
In March 2024, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in connection with the excise policy and was sent to jail. Kejriwal didn't resign from his post before being granted bail by Supreme Court in September. The AAP convenor later stepped down from his post after coming out of jail and Atishi was sworn as Delhi CM.
"Some are even boycotting the JPC formed for this bill... They sit with those people who they wanted to see in Tihar, and say the government should be run from Tihar, and they did exactly that. They ran the government from Tihar for 150 days. They came to bring a revolution in politics, and look at them now," Shehzad Poonawalla said.
Poonawalla further said that the opposition have developed a new working model of working from jail after everyone citizen worked from home during the COVID period.
He stated that despite being "cut off" from the public, these people demand separate private room for public hearings.
"During COVID, all of us used to work from home. Now they want this concept of work from jail for the first time in this country... Is it practical for a CM to hold meetings from inside the jail?... Where will the public hearings be held? Although these people are cut off from the public, but for public hearing, will you have a separate room in the jail?... It does not stand anywhere on morality. It does not stand even on practicality," he said.
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at the 'Black Bill' protests against the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill by Opposition parties and stated that both he and the BJP "completely reject" the idea that the country "cannot be governed without the person" who has been jailed.
He asked whether a Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or any leader could run the country from jail.
Parliament witnessed protests with Opposition terming the legislation as "unconstitutional" alleging that it was a way for the ruling BJP to misuse central agencies, frame non-BJP Chief Ministers, put them in jail and destabilise State governments.
In an interview with ANI, Amit Shah said, "I want to ask the entire nation and the Opposition... Can a Chief Minister, Prime Minister, or any leader run the country from jail? Does that suit the dignity of our democracy?"
"Even today, they are trying that if they ever have to go to jail, they will easily form the government from jail. The jail will be made CM House, PM House and the DGP, Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, or Home Secretary will take orders from the jail. My party and I completely reject the idea that this country cannot be governed without the person who is sitting there. This will not affect anyone's majority in the Parliament or the Assembly. One member will go, other members of the party will run the government, and when they get bail, they can come and take the oath again. What is the objection in this?" he said.
A Joint Committee comprising members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, cutting across party lines, to be appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairperson, will jointly examine the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill.