Parliament Must Keep Criminals Away, "In National Interest": Supreme Court
NEW DELHI: Time has come for parliament to keep criminals away by bringing law, the Supreme Court said today on petitions asking that lawmakers facing criminal charges be barred from contesting elections or be disqualified after conviction.
"We are not in a position to add disqualification of candidates on filing of chargesheet in criminal cases," Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said, reading out the order.
Leaving it to parliament to stop criminals from contesting polls, the court said: "National interest demands parliament enacts such legislation and the country awaits such a legislation."
The court said parliament must make law to ensure candidates with criminal antecedents don't enter public life and take part in law making.
The chief justice added, "It's the responsibility of all to enforce the law."
The top court responded to petitions seeking disqualification of lawmakers even before their conviction in criminal cases to curb "criminalisation of politics" in the country.
The court said while the Election Commission cannot deny anyone a symbol, contesting candidates must declare pending criminal cases before their parties, which must be put up on websites and given wide publicity. "Such candidates should give in bold letters details of pending criminal cases to the Election Commission," the court said.
The top court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking disqualification of lawmakers even before their conviction in criminal cases to curb "criminalisation of politics" in the country. The court had earlier dubbed criminalisation of politics as "rot".
Currently, lawmakers are barred at the time of conviction.
Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra are part of the Chief Justice Misra's bench.
Referring to the concept of presumption of innocence until a person is proven guilty, Attorney General KK Venugopal, representing the Centre, had said that depriving a person from contesting elections on a party ticket would amount to denial of the right to vote, which also included the right to contest.
In course of an argument, the Attorney General had said, "Mere allegation cannot prevent a member from contesting." He also said the court can't remain oblivious of the fact that political aspirants are often framed in cases ahead of polls and said that fast-track courts to try accused politicians were "the only solution".
The petitioners pointed out that trials in cases involving politicians were deliberately delayed, and therefore, several lawbreakers enter the legislature and become lawmakers.
courtesy :ndtv.com
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Himanta resigns as Assam CM, paving way for formation of new govt
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.
The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.
"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.
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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.
“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.
The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.
