Sir,
The Supreme Court of India on 10th July, delivered a land mark judgement holding that the Parliament had exceeded its powers by enacting Sec. 8(4) of the Representation of Peoples, Act whereby the convicted MPs, MLAs and M.L.Cs could remain in the office on the ground that they had filed appeals and their appeals were pending in the higher courts, against such convictions. This is the provision which ruthlessly aided criminalisation of politics in India and almost all the political parties and the convicted law makers, taking shelter under this clause encouraged the criminals to enter the politics so that they themselves and their parties could make use of their rapidly enhanced influence, money power and muscle power without the stigma of culpability. The ill effects of criminalisation of politics has badly affected the very concept of strong and vibrant democracy.
Just on the next day i.e. on 11th July the Apex Court delivered one more judgement carrying the same social reformative potential as that indicated above holding that a person who is in jail or in police custody (other than the preventive detention) can not contest polls for legislative bodies. The Apex Court has ruled that as per the provisions of the People’s Representation Act an elector can contest the polls and a person who is in police custody or in jail obviously at the time of filing the nomination, ceases to be a voter.
These two rulings are sure to change complexion of the Legislative bodies and now the voters who believe in free and fair elections will like to see the conduct of the political parties, which without any exception outwardly condemn criminalisation of politics but groom, encourage and defend the law makers with the criminal background, who have torn out the fabric of Indian social order. The follow up action of what the Apex Court has said about the urgent police reforms and judicial reforms, I suggests that the worthy people in power are in no hurry to change the deep rooted anti people politics and practices.
Yours etc….
S.K. Rekhi
825, G. Nagar
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