BS EDIT: Weaponising ‘Morality’ in Governance

By Business StandardPublished On Aug 28, 2025

The Bill allows removal of ministers if detained for 30 consecutive days, claiming to uphold morality in public life

Inverting ‘innocent until proven guilty’, the Bill uses detention as a proxy for probity

Low conviction rates—just 37 per cent under the Prevention of Corruption Act—limit the law’s effectiveness

Jailed ministers face restricted access, slowing administration and delaying crucial files and decisions

Most ministers resign voluntarily when imprisoned, making the law redundant and potentially punitive

The risk of political misuse is high. Routine judicial bail should safeguard rights, not prolonged incarceration