SC verdict on convicted leaders jolts Uttar Pradesh politicians
12 July 2013 12:10 AM GMT
With nearly half the state assembly members facing serious criminal charges, Wednesday’s landmark Supreme Court judgement to keep convicted leaders out of power has sent legislators in Uttar Pradesh into a tizzy.
‘If the Supreme Court verdict is implemented in toto, the strength of the assembly will go down by half,’ a senior leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitiveness of the issue. The records show that of the 403 legislators in the country’s most populous state that sends the largest number of 80 MPs to Parliament, 189 have serious criminal cases - ranging from robbery, murder, rape to kidnapping and extortion - pending against them. Of all the cases pending, 194 invite a minimum two-year prison term. An analysis of the affidavits submitted by the MLAs to the Election Commission, 12 cases have been registered under the provisions of Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for inciting communal violence, 21 under the Section 395 of the IPC for dacoity (armed robbery), four of rape, nine of loot, 15 of kidnapping and murder, 95 of attempted murder and 38 cases of murder.
‘If the Supreme Court verdict is implemented in toto, the strength of the assembly will go down by half,’ a senior leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitiveness of the issue. The records show that of the 403 legislators in the country’s most populous state that sends the largest number of 80 MPs to Parliament, 189 have serious criminal cases - ranging from robbery, murder, rape to kidnapping and extortion - pending against them. Of all the cases pending, 194 invite a minimum two-year prison term. An analysis of the affidavits submitted by the MLAs to the Election Commission, 12 cases have been registered under the provisions of Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for inciting communal violence, 21 under the Section 395 of the IPC for dacoity (armed robbery), four of rape, nine of loot, 15 of kidnapping and murder, 95 of attempted murder and 38 cases of murder.
Next Story
