Criminalisation of Politics

[CLN]

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I found from an Internet article in Rediff News this interesting information - that a good number of the recently elected MLA's have criminal cases pending against them in various courts of law. The names of the states and the percentage of such MLA's are given below:

Assam - 10%; Puducherry - 30%; Tamilnadu - 29%; West Bengal - 35%. (Kerala record - not yet available).


There have been spirited debates, time and again, on this very same topic. But, nothing seems to change much.

1. Are we supposed to conclude that Politics has a strong affinity to criminals and so we should resign ourselves to the situation?

2. Is criminal record a reliable measure of the individual's 'rough and tumble' attitude, which is essential for public service?

3. Is abiding by law only for the pusillanimous who are, therefore, unfit for politics and getting a criminal record is some thing in the nature of 'passing out' status?

 

[kunjuppu]

CLN,

does this above result details all of these as criminal cases?

is it possible some of these could be other types of litigation? also, when politicians are arrested for agitations, what type of cases are brought against them? wonder if nehru or gandhi or CR had 'criminal' cases foistered against them by the british? i wonder if these cases were commuted after independence!

 

[Yamaka]

I heard the current Election Commissioner of India voiced his opinion on this matter soon after the Election Results a few days ago - he said that those who were "CONVICTED" of the crime and given more than 5 years of imprisonment MUST be disqualified to file papers for MC, MLA or MP position.

I believe the state or federal laws are not clear about this matter. Perhaps, after the LokPal Bill, this will be clarified soon.

Clearly, Political Prisoners (Gandhi, Nehru, Vaiko, J Jaya or Karuna etc) will not come under the "CONVICTED" category, I suppose, if they were prosecuted on public matters... private matters of bribery and corruption are different.

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Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) and his arrest on charges of sexual misconduct:

Most of the Europeans are shocked that the NY police, Prosecutor and the Judge arrested and jailed DSK - the Chief of the IMF - a man of immense authority and influence in Europe and the world.

So far the Grand Jury has not heard the evidences; he was denied bail, and he has the notoriety of abusing women in his career!

He is now jailed in a very dangerous place in NY till the case moves through the court system... Europeans and perhaps Indians are asking the question "How could this happen to DSK?

I believe in America this can happen to ANYBODY - to an ordinary Joe/Jane to Gov of NY to ANYBODY, period. Justice has no prejudice or bias one way or the other...

My view is : Mr. DSK, If you have attacked the House Maid - then the law would catch up with you... you may run.. but you will pay the penalty sooner or later - a possible 20 years in NY Prison... get ready to smell the coffee... one the other hand, if you are innocent, you will go home very soon - rest assured.

Wait & watch.

 

[kunjuppu]

Y,

women appear to be easy preys. just today we hear about arnold schwarzenegger having a baby through his housemaid (i am guessing here as no one is willing to tell who she is, except she was house staff. what is appalling, is that this lady shared the household for 10 years with the love child, and moved among the wife and children of arnie.

is there no shame left in this world\\/

re DSK, he has a long history of harassments against him. just a while back, a senior polish ex official of IMF has come forward with accusations. hopefully more will come out of the woodwork. these guys need to get their dick cut off.

 

[CLN]

kunjuppu: does this above result details all of these as criminal cases?

I am giving the link itself below:Bengal has most criminal MLAs; TN most crorepatis - Rediff.com News.

Perhaps, not all of them might have been convicted criminals. In India, those who have some sort of influence/power, seem to be able to manage very easily, to get the cases, even if criminal, to be going on dragging long for years. Our eminent lawyers and courts are very co-operative in this matter - all in the name of the famous dictum: Even if a hundred guilty escape, not even an innocent should be wrongly punished! So, what really happens is that the innocents get 'punished' out in the open world by various unlawful acts and those who are guilty of these offences get protected in the courts by the above dictum - to the merriment of the 'haves' and to the detriment of the 'have not's!