We have the precedence in which the Supreme Court of India intervened and disqualified such of the candidates from becoming MPs or MLAs as had criminal cases against them and were convicted for the same. The plea is that one with criminal record cannot be considered fit to maintain the trust of the people who might vote for them. Taking the cue from this, the Election Commission has proposed that there should be restriction on convicted persons from fighting the election. The proposal made by it is that if there is a criminal case filed against a prospective candidate six months prior to the holding of elections, he or she should be debarred from contesting the election. This proposal made by the Election Commission has gone to the Union Ministry of Law which, in turn has sent it to the Law Commission for legal opinion.
The point is that the Supreme Court has already dealt with such a case and established that people who are convicted for some crime would be disqualified. Perhaps the Supreme Court was conscious of the fact that owing to discrepancy in the law, criminals were finding a way for entering the sanctimonious house called the Parliament where laws are made by the representatives of the people. We find that the Supreme Court has taken a bold and much needed decision in this respect which the Government should emulate and follow. Corruption is a much hated word among the civil society and we want that public life should be cleansed of abuses like corruption, bribery, scams and transgression of propriety.
The Central Government has vowed to put an end to corruption in public life. We know that this is not that easy to achieve owing to entrenched vested interests. But when the Government means to bring about change in the interests of the community, nothing can stop it. The days of nibbling at the idea of eradicating corruption are over and the country is no more prepared to tolerate corrupt and anti-national elements in the administration.
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