Parliament witnessed chaos on Wednesday when Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three Bills with far-reaching implications for Indian democracy. The proposals seek to disqualify ministers, chief ministers, and even the Prime Minister if they remain in jail for 30 consecutive days on corruption charges or other serious offences. On the surface, the Bills may appear to strengthen probity in public life. But a closer examination reveals them to be deeply problematic, striking at the core principles of the Constitution and federalism. The first objection is legal and philosophical. The Indian Constitution enshrines the principle that every individual is innocent until proven guilty. Disqualification after mere incarceration—even without........

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