New Delhi / Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly criticized opposition parties for opposing a bill that allows the removal of elected representatives with criminal records. Drawing a comparison, he said it is unfair that a government employee can lose their job after serving 50 hours in jail, while chief ministers or even the prime minister remain in office after 30 days of imprisonment. Modi specifically targeted RJD and Congress leaders, claiming that if the law were applied equally, they would be either in jail or out on bail. He made these remarks during public events in Bihar and West Bengal, criticizing opposition leaders, including RJD and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Modi emphasized that politicians should not run administrations from jail, arguing that such practices perpetuate corruption. He said the new bill aims to prevent criminal leaders from holding office and clarified that no one, including BJP members, will be above the law. Addressing Bengal, Modi called the TMC an obstacle to development and criticized a minister involved in a teacher recruitment scam who remains in jail yet refuses to resign.
He also dismissed claims by the Bengal government of insufficient central funding, stating that the Centre has sanctioned three times more funds for road and railway projects compared to the UPA period, though much of it is allegedly being misused at the state level. Modi inaugurated three new Kolkata Metro routes: Noapara–Jai Hind Biman Bandar, Sealdah–Esplanade, and Beleghata.