Politicians against whom even FIRs have been registered, should not be allowed to contest elections, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah, who welcomed the Supreme Court's direction to the Centre to set up a special court to try politicians with criminal background, used this development to target his political rival B S Yeddyurappa of the BJP.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "This is a good development. Not just a criminal record, even those who have FIRs registered against them should not be allowed to contest elections. That is the only way to stop politicians such as Yeddyurappa from contesting elections," he said.
Senior Congress leader and MP M Veerappa Moily too said that he welcomed the move. "Not just those with a criminal records, but even those who have been accused of a crime should be barred from contesting. The UPA regime had worked towards bringing about a legislation in this regard," he said, adding that the Congress would build pressure on the present dispensation at the Centre to bring about such an enactment.