West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly condemned the Centre’s proposed 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, describing it as a “draconian step” that poses a grave threat to democracy, federalism, and judicial independence in India.
In a statement issued on her official Facebook page, Banerjee said the Bill represents “a step towards something that is more than a super-Emergency” and warned that if passed, it would amount to the end of democratic governance in the country.
Full Statement of Mamata Banerjee
“I condemn the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, proposed to be tabled, by the Government of India today. I condemn it as a step towards something that is more than a super- Emergency, a step to end the democratic era of India for ever. This draconian step comes as a death knell for democracy and federalism in India.
To suppress the voting rights of the Indian citizens in the name of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) , this is another super- draconian step by the Centre now.
This Bill now wants to finish the Independence of our Judiciary. What we are witnessing is unprecedented– the Bill is nothing short of a Hitlerian assault on the very soul of Indian democracy. The Bill seeks to strip the judiciary of its Constitutional role- to take away the power of Courts to adjudicate on matters that lie at the very heart of justice and federal balance. By vesting such powers in partisan hands, the Bill mutilates democracy.
This is not reform. This is regression- towards a system where the law no longer rests with independent Courts but is placed in the hands of vested interests. It is a chilling attempt to establish a rule where judicial scrutiny is silenced, Constitutional safeguards are dismantled , and the people’s rights are trampled. This is how authoritarian regimes , even fascist ones in history, consolidated power. It reeks of the very mindset that the world once condemned in the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha erupts in chaos as Amit Shah introduces bills to remove jailed PM, CMs
To weaken the Courts is to weaken the people. To deny them the right to seek justice is to deny them democracy itself. The bill strikes at the basic structure of the Constitution- federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review- principles that even Parliament cannot override. If allowed to pass, it will be a death warrant for Constitutional governance in India.
We must resist this dangerous overreach. Our Constitution is not the property of those in temporary seats of power. It belongs to the people of India.
The intent of the Bill is to consolidate a system of one man- one- party- one Government. The Bill tramples upon the basic structure of the Constitution.
The Bill seeks to empower the Union to intrude upon the mandate of the people, handing sweeping powers to unelected authorities ( ED, CBI- whom Supreme Court has described as ‘ caged parrots’) to interfere in the functioning of elected State governments. It is a step to empower the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister in a sinister manner at the expense of the basic principles of our Constitution.
The Bill must be resisted at any cost! Democracy must be saved at this moment! The people will not forgive any attempt to take away their Courts, their rights, and their democracy.
Jai Hind!”
Background on the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill
The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill has triggered a nationwide debate. According to critics, the Bill seeks to dilute the powers of the courts in adjudicating key issues while vesting greater control in central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, argue that the Bill strikes at the basic structure of the Constitution—federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review—which even Parliament is not permitted to alter. Supporters of the Bill, however, maintain that it aims at streamlining governance and ensuring stronger central oversight.
