SC: Govt should make law to check tainted politicians

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said Parliament must make a law to check rising number of people with criminal antecedents from entering politics.

A five-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said corruption, a noun, develops resistance to antibiotics and assumed the proportion of a national and economic terror.

"Indian democracy has seen high rise in criminalisation of politics," the CJI said reading out the judgement passed on a batch of PILs filed by NGO 'PIL Foundation' and BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

The petitioners sought directions to disqualify and debar those charged with serious criminal cases from entering the electoral politics.

Refusing to add any fresh disqualification in law, the bench said malignancy of criminalisation of politics is not incurable, Parliament must make a law in this regard as nation eagerly waits for it.

Under the Representation of People Act, only a convicted person is debarred from contesting elections.

In its judgement, the court, however, asked the Election Commission to ensure forms filled by candidates in Parliament and Assembly polls must contain all details, including their criminal cases in bold letters.

"A candidate is required to inform his or her political party on criminal antecedents to be put, which must be given wide publicity and even put on websites," the bench said.

The court said its directions must be implemented in true spirit to ameliorate the situation.