Shashi Tharoor Slams ‘Clickbait’ After Reports Claim He Supports Bills On PM, CM Removal: ‘It’s Common Sense He…’

As Amit Shah introduced bills to disqualify ministers held for 30 days on serious charges, Shashi Tharoor endorsed the principle while Priyanka criticised the legislation.

Shashi Tharoor said that more detailed scrutiny should ideally have been carried out by a standing committee.

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The introduction of three contentious bills in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has triggered fierce debate with the Opposition condemning the move as politically driven. However, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's statement created a stir after it was misread by a section of the media. 

The bills, introduced on Wednesday, seek to disqualify the prime minister, chief ministers, or any minister who remains in custody for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges. Despite protests and repeated disruptions, the draft laws were referred by voice vote to a Joint Committee of Parliament, comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The panel has been tasked with submitting its report by the end of the first week of the Winter Session, expected in November, as reported by PTI.

'I Think That Makes Sense': Shashi Tharoor On Bill To 'Remove' PM, CMs

Speaking on the measure, Tharoor told ANI, “On the face of it, it seems reasonable that anyone who does anything wrong should be liable to punishment and should not be holding a high constitutional office or a political office. I think that makes sense.” He added that more detailed scrutiny should ideally have been carried out by a standing committee. Tharoor also weighed in on another bill on online gaming, reiterating his longstanding view that legalisation and taxation would be preferable to prohibition, which, he warned, risks driving the industry underground.

#WATCH Delhi: On the bill for the removal of the PM, CMs, and ministers held on serious criminal charges, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "As far as I am concerned, I don't know those Bills well enough to give you a comment. On the face of it, it seems reasonable that anyone who… pic.twitter.com/dy4BYWywMx

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra strongly opposed the legislation, calling it “draconian” and “anti-constitutional.” She warned, "Tomorrow, you can put any kind of a case on a CM, have him arrested for 30 days without conviction, and he ceases to be a CM. It is absolutely anti-constitutional, undemocratic and very unfortunate." 

'Neither Supporting Nor Opposing The Bill': Shashi Tharoor Clarifies

Shashi Tharoor clarified that, contrary to media reports, he had specifically stated—before the Opposition had taken a position on the Bill—that he had not studied it. He noted that, on the face of it, he saw nothing wrong with the idea that wrongdoers should resign from their ministerial positions. He added that he was neither supporting nor opposing the Bill without examining it and expressed disappointment that the media had misrepresented his remarks.