New Delhi, April 19: The BJP leads recognised political parties with the highest number of 12 lawmakers at the central and state levels who have declared cases of crime against women against them, followed by Shiv Sena and TMC, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Thursday.
After the Bharatiya Janata Party comes Shiv Sena with seven such MPs/MLAs, and Trinamool Congress with six," the ADR said in a report.
All major political parties give tickets to candidates with cases of crime against women, especially rape, and therefore hinder the safety and dignity of women as citizens, said ADR, which along with the National Election Watch analysed the election affidavits of current MPs and MLAs.
"These are serious cases wherein charges have been framed and cognisance taken by courts. Hence, political parties have been, in a way, abetting to circumstances that lead to such events that they so easily but vehemently condemn in Parliament," the report added.
Out of 1,580 MPs/MLAs whose particulars were analysed for declared criminal cases (33 per cent of the total), 48 lawmakers -- 45 MLAs and three MPs -- have declared cases of crime against women.
Among the states, Maharashtra has the highest number of 12 such MPs/MLAs, followed by West Bengal (11), Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (5 each), said the Delhi-based think tank.
Recognised political parties gave tickets to 327 candidates who declared cases related to crime against women. Of these, 40 were given tickets by parties for Parliamentary elections.
Various recognised parties gave tickets to 287 such candidates for Assembly polls.
In five years, 118 such independent candidates also contested the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls as well as Assembly elections.
Three MLAs with cases related to rape against them are Gonuguntla Suryanarayana of Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, Jethabhai G. Ahir of Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat and Gulab Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar.
The ADR and NEW demanded that candidates with criminal background should be debarred from contesting elections, political parties should disclose criteria for selecting candidates and that cases pending against MPs and MLAs should be fast-tracked.
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Karnataka leadership row intensifies with minister's 'dog' remark
Bengaluru (PTI): The simmering leadership row in Karnataka took a sharp turn on Tuesday after Minister H C Mahadevappa made remarks invoking a High Court observation on stray dogs, drawing reactions from senior Congress leaders and the Opposition.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Monday, Mahadevappa, considered close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in cryptic remarks said, "Where is the discussion on leadership issue? The High Court says time and again to catch stray dogs and confine them. Here the political leadership is strong."
When asked to clarify whom he was referring to with the dog metaphor, the social welfare minister said he was only citing the High Court order.
"I was only referring to what the High Court had said. I do not know how you people perceive it," he added.
Mahadevappa's remarks come amid the ongoing speculation over the leadership tussle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar. The minister also dismissed talk of any change at the top.
On the issue of leadership change, Mahadevappa said, "Who can give direction to the party high command? Can you and me direct it? It's they who can give us direction and not the other way round. What if tail wags the dog?"
Meanwhile, Shivakumar said he would not comment on Mahadevappa's remarks.
"I am not ready to react to Mahadevappa's statement. Not just him, but anybody. I had said this before as well. Siddaramaiah and our Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge have also spoken on our leadership issue," Shivakumar, who is also state Congress president, told reporters on Tuesday.
He added, "It is a decision taken by me, Siddaramaiah and the party high command. Time will answer what the decision was. There is nothing hidden in this dealing. Siddaramaiah himself will answer the people when the time comes."
Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh said he was unaware of the context of Mahadevappa's remark.
"I don't have the information whom Mahadevappa referred to as dogs," the former Lok Sabha member told reporters.
However, he added, "devout Congress leaders are not stray canines but honest dogs. They never ditch those who favoured them. They clear the debts of their master."
Congress MLC B K Hariprasad likened Shivakumar to a railway engine.
"Shivakumar is like the engine taking along the entire train but when it reaches a destination, he makes lots of noise and rouses vendors over there," he said while addressing mediapersons.
Meanwhile, taking a swipe at Mahadevappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, "the statement construes that all the leaders in Congress are dogs."
"Congress leaders like dogs very much. Mahadevappa has subtly explained whether the dog is wagging its tail or tail is wagging the dog."
