There cannot be anything more shameful and undemocratic than the union cabinet decision to amend the Representation of the People Act through an ordinance. If this becomes a law, legislators convicted of rape and murder in Nirbhaya-type cases in future will have the right to remain as MLA or MP and represent people. The ordinance is meant to overrule the Supreme Court judgment under which lawmakers convicted of crimes with punishment of two or more years face immediate disqualification. It is absurd to argue that a person convicted of a serious crime in a trial before an independent court of law should continue to remain an MLA or MP until an appeal against conviction is disposed of. All of us know that not many cases are registered against the influential and elected legislators in our country. Most of these cases end up closed even before charges are framed. Even when charges are framed, only six percent of cases end up in conviction, unless the accused makes a confession. The process takes years and in some cases more than a decade! The Government and all major political parties are conspiring to enable even the few convicted legislators to continue in office. This is nothing but moral bankruptcy and total unaccountability. The argument that politicians convicted of crimes related to a political agitation should be protected is equally untenable. In any democracy, resorting to violence while expressing dissent cannot be condoned. In any case, there is no known case of a legislator being convicted for minor offenses related to political agitations in contemporary India. If the Government persists in the dangerous course of promulgating an ordinance it will be quashed by the judiciary. The Government and political parties will become the laughing stock and objects of popular hatred. thehindu/news/national/president-approves-bill-on-convicted-lawmakers/article5164164.ece
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 18:23:33 +0000
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