Congress spokesperson M V Rajeev Gowda warned "Don’t cripple clean politicians" and endorsed Rahul Gandhi's dramatic U turn last month, when he narrated, "Rahul Gandhi's dramatic denunciation of the ordinance that aimed to protect convicted politicians has already shaken up the system. Criminal politicians will go to jail, lose their seats and be disqualified from contesting for a substantial period of time. India's wheels of justice grind slowly but Lalu Prasad is only among the first to be crushed fine by a system that many mock or try to manipulate".
Congress spokesperson M V Rajeev Gowda opened his heart and lectured,"We need to get out our deep denial and make expenditure limits realistic (e.g. Rs 15-20 crore per Lok Sabha candidate) or get rid of them altogether. Then, as election expenditures emerge overground, cleaner candidates who can raise white resources will also be able to compete. Unlike today when people want clean candidates but political parties shun them on the criterion of 'winnability'.
INDIA HONEST is surprised to note the huge mount Congress spokesperson accepts as the reasonable limit for an individual candidate in poor India. Is India poor really ? Or the political candidate are rich ?
He added, "As a country, we also need to make it possible for people to back their preferred candidates openly. This will allow the electorate to hold their candidates accountable. Contemporary political movements are already demonstrating that public-spirited Indians, including the middle class, will willingly contribute to causes instead of pontificating from armchairs".
Here it is of utmost importance to note that the government has contested earlier, the SC verdict striking down Section 8(4) of the RP Act terming it as infringement on Parliament's power to enact law and may approach the apex court seeking review of the verdict by a larger bench. It has also sent its response to the Commission.
While striking down the section of the RP Act the apex court had observed that it was unconstitutional. Consequently, any lawmaker immediately after being convicted stands to lose the membership of the House irrespective of any appeal being filed in a higher court. Earlier, a convicted lawmaker had protection under Section 8(4) of RP Act where if he or she files an appeal in higher courts he or she continued to remain an MLA - MP.
It was well thought decision by the Congress under which the bill was presented in the parliament, and subsequently pressed through the back door by issuing an ordinance to nullify the Supreme Court's July order that asked for disqualification of convicted MP or MLA , and that made possible Rahul dramatic entry in "Clean Politics in India" campaign professed by the vice president of Congress .The resulting episode is now well documented record for Indian history.
The "second U turn" was created by the Congress government on Monday when, : the Centre told the Supreme Court that judiciary should keep off a plea to bar persons, against whom charges have been framed in serious offences, from contesting polls as the issue fell squarely within the domain of legislature and government's policy arena. the law ministry said in its affidavit,"The issue agitated through this petition are policy matter and come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the legislature and as a matter of fact, the area relating to issue agitated in the petition is covered by suitable statutory provisions in the concerned laws relating to election matter,"
The ministry also said, "It is also a settled position that the courts do not interfere in policy matters of the state unless the policy violates the mandate of the Constitution or any statutory provision or is otherwise actuated by malafides."
The SC bench of Justices R M Lodha and S K Singh , after observing the the affidavit submitted by additional solicitor general Paras Kuhad, asked the Election Commission to respond to the Centre's stand in six weeks, thus averted the immediate danger of the court adjudicating on a very sensitive issue, especially when many politicians, including elected representatives, are facing trial after framing of charges against them in serious offences. These politicians, under existing law, are entitled to contest elections because of the cardinal principle - an accused is presumed innocent till pronounced guilty.
This is the second golden opportunity for Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to overrule the stand taken by the government through the affidavit submitted by additional solicitor general Paras Kuhad and continue his crusade against the criminality aspect among many political candidates opting to stand in the coming election, and also among the present elected representatives.
Will Rahul act now or will choose to react much later in the same dramatic way as seen recently to gain highest TRP points in this hot election season ?