Urban Mirror Correspondent
New Delhi September 26: The Lok Gathbandhan Party (LGP) today said that Parliament should take legislative measures to decriminalise the country’s polity. The LGP said that the Supreme Court in its verdict has left it to Parliament to disqualify the candidates facing serious criminal charges from contesting elections.
Welcoming the apex court verdict making it mandatory for the candidates to inform their respective parties about the criminal cases pending against them, the spokesman of the party said here on Wednesday without adequate law the criminalisation of the politics cannot be stopped. The spokesman said the apex court has justifiably pointed out that the political parties will have to publicise the criminal background of the candidates. The spokesman said since the ball is now in Parliament’s court it should act expeditiously in the spirit of the verdict and prevailing mood of the nation to ban charge-sheeted criminals from contesting the elections.
Referring to an other verdict of the apex court for the speedy trial of tainted lawmakers (MPs, MLAs) last year the spokesman reiterated its demand for setting up of special courts at each divisional headquarters to help solve the menace. The spokesman said as of now several states including Uttar Paradesh have not complied with the court order of establishment of the special court. The spokesman said nearly one-third of incumbent MPs and MLAs are facing pending criminal cases with roughly half of them facing serious charges that would merit real jail time if a conviction is obtained. The spokesman said the Supreme Court has lamented the growing criminalisation of the politics in the country which now required urgent solution.
The spokesman said over the years Mafiosi and criminals have grabbed the space in public life through a mix of terror and political patronage and large number of them have succeeded in entering into Parliament and state assemblies. They have also succeeded in hoodwinking pending trial against them through money and muscle power, the spokesman said and added speedy cleansing of Indian politics from these nefarious elements has become imperative to take the country to the people-oriented and proper developmental path. The spokesman said the consequences of prevailing Mafiosi role in politics are visible in the increasing criminalisation of the process of governance with ministers, legislators, bureaucrats and unscrupulous businessmen combining to plunder public funds and prey on the public.
