New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued an order to the Central Government and the Election Commission to provide an explanation regarding the criminal background candidates contesting the elections.
In this regard, lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay in a Public Interest Petition (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court said: If a government servant makes an allegation in court, he will be suspended or dismissed from service.
But a candidate continues to be a Minister, a Member of the Lok Sabha or a Member of the Legislative Assembly unless he has been convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to imprisonment for 2 years or more.
We have a situation in our country where a person who cannot even become a shopkeeper becomes a member of the Legislative Assembly and a Minister of Law on a bad charge.
The Supreme Court should issue an order for the Central Government and the Election Commission to take a clear decision on the issue of candidates with criminal records. This is what he said in it.
In this case, the case came up for hearing yesterday before a bench comprising Justices KM Joseph and PV Nagaratna.
The judges who heard the petition said: If we want to live as a nation, each of us must have character and morals. Look at the threat corruption poses to society.
In western countries, even common people are not involved in corruption. There is corruption here even at the grass root level. That is the real problem. The Election Commission and the Central Government should give an explanation as to what should be done in this matter.
Reply within 3 weeks: The Election Commission and the Central Government have to file a report in this regard in the court within 3 weeks. They said this. And the case was adjourned to the first week of April.
