Make Public All Details Of Candidates' Criminal Cases Within 48 Hrs: Orders SC
Alarmed with the rising number of candidates with criminal cases entering politics, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered all state and national level political parties to make available details of all such criminal cases against candidates. Information relating to all criminal cases a candidate may have been booked for or is facing will have to now be shared within 48 hours of that person being a ticket to contest state or national level polls.
Noting that "Win-ability cannot be the only reason for selecting a candidate”, the Supreme Court has also asked political parties to see the merit of a candidate. A bench comprising Justice R F Nariman and Justice Ravindra Bhat today while passing the order also said that anyone flouting the court's order would be held in contempt by the court. Both judges had been hearing petitions filed by Rambabu Singh Thakur and BJP spokesperson and Lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya.
Both the petitioners had argued in court that political parties were not complying with an earlier five-judge bench of the Supreme Court which on 25 September 2018 asked all candidates to widely publicize details of all criminal cases against them. “This is a historic order, any party giving a ticket to people with a criminal case and do not make this public, this will be treated as Contempt of Court," Ashwini Upadhyaya, one of the petitioners informed GoNews after the order. As per today's order, parties will have to share details of criminal cases against candidates on social media including Facebook, Twitter and also publish such information on their own websites. The Election Commission will also have to be informed about such cases.
Both the petitioners had argued in court that political parties were not complying with an earlier five-judge bench of the Supreme Court which on 25 September 2018 asked all candidates to widely publicize details of all criminal cases against them. “This is a historic order, any party giving a ticket to people with a criminal case and do not make this public, this will be treated as Contempt of Court," Ashwini Upadhyaya, one of the petitioners informed GoNews after the order. As per today's order, parties will have to share details of criminal cases against candidates on social media including Facebook, Twitter and also publish such information on their own websites. The Election Commission will also have to be informed about such cases.
#SC directs all #PoliticalParties to publish within 48 hours details of #criminalrecords of candidates in #Assembly and Parliamentary polls. @SidharthPandey reports #parliament
— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) February 13, 2020
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