Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, in an interaction with TNIE, spoke on Union Home Amit Shah's attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the new bills to remove tainted PM, CMs and ministers... Excerpts..
Q Home Minister Amit Shah today referred to the incident in 2013 when Rahul Gandhi tore an ordinance brought by then-PM Manmohan Singh to reprieve Lalu Prasad Yadav. Shah questioned Gandhi's "double standards" over the Constitution Bill. How do you react to it?
That was an act of principle. Contrast that with what is happening in India today, where opposition leaders are disproportionately targeted, arrested, and harassed by central agencies — ED, CBI, Income Tax. Everybody knows the pattern: the same leaders who are hounded one day are given total immunity the moment they join the ruling party. Since 2014, the ED has investigated 121 political leaders, of whom 115 were from opposition parties. At least 25 prominent politicians facing corruption cases have crossed over to the BJP, and in 23 of those cases, they got immunity and protection.
We have seen this playbook in many states like Karnataka and Maharashtra, where democratically elected governments were toppled with the help of central agencies. The intention is clear, and the intention is what matters here — this Bill is nothing but a conspiracy and a political weapon to crush opposition and overturn the people’s mandate. So if Amit Shah wants to talk about double standards, he should first explain why the BJP’s washing machine cleanses corruption the moment a leader switches sides.
Q Shah said that morality's standards are not connected with victory or loss in elections. They should be steady like the Sun and the Moon. What is your take on it?
Frankly, the BJP and Amit Shah have no right to talk about morality. Their past and present record speaks louder than words. Morality is about consistency and fairness — but this government has toppled elected governments by brazen horse-trading and intimidation. Morality is about fighting corruption — but here, leaders called corrupt yesterday are made ministers today the moment they join BJP. Morality is about respecting institutions — but under this government, Parliament has been bulldozed, MPs suspended in bulk, and agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax reduced to tools of political vendetta.
So when the Home Minister speaks of morality being like the Sun and the Moon, it looks more like he is holding up a mirror to himself. Because the BJP’s only morality is to grab power at any cost, however unethical, unconstitutional, or undemocratic it may be.
Q Citing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Shah said that governments cannot be run from jail. Your comments.
This is not about one individual or one Chief Minister. The real issue is the brazen misuse of central agencies to manufacture cases and jail opposition leaders. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified within 24 hours of a defamation case. Hemant Soren was arrested on the eve of elections. Opposition leaders are systematically removed, harassed, and silenced through the misuse of power. And at the same time, leaders with corruption charges worth thousands of crores — whether in Maharashtra, Assam, or Delhi — become “clean” the moment they enter the BJP camp. The hypocrisy is glaring.
Q The government says that PM also comes under the Bill. Your take.
This is the biggest joke of all. To say that the Prime Minister comes under the Bill is nothing but eyewash. Everyone knows that no agency under Modi and Shah will ever dare to act against the Prime Minister or his close allies. Including the PM’s name is only a decorative clause — it has no meaning in reality.
This Bill isdesigned only to target opposition leaders, topple state governments, and crush regional parties. It is dishonest, misleading, and only a cover for a naked power grab.
Q Why do you think the Bill is anti-constitutional and meant to target the Opposition?
Because it strikes at the very foundation of our democracy. It hands the executive arbitrary power to remove elected representatives, bypassing judicial process and trampling upon the mandate of the people. It undermines federalism by giving the Centre a tool to interfere in state governments whenever it chooses. And it institutionalises the vendetta politics we have already witnessed in practice.
Since 2014, almost every major action by ED and CBI has been against opposition leaders, while BJP leaders have been conveniently spared. This Bill now gives them legal cover to do what they were already doing unlawfully — use agencies as political weapons. It is anti-constitutional because it destroys the balance of power, violates due process, and reduces the role of the people in choosing their governments.
This is not about morality or governance. It is about creating a one-party dictatorship where dissenting voices can be jailed and disqualified at will. The intention is clear, and it is dangerous.