In the recent Lok Sabha elections 152 criminally charged persons with serious offences have managed to enter Parliament. Though it is deplorable for any political party to give tickets to such tainted persons, it is far worse for the electorate to have voted such candidates, possibly out of fear, favour, religious, caste or other considerations.
These tainted politicians may plead that cases against them are false and politically motivated but they had the legal option to move the High Court or Supreme Court and get the proceedings against them quashed or stayed before contesting the elections. They would like to be presumed innocent till proven guilty. But we all know that the criminal justice takes around 15 long years for a final conviction at the Supreme Court which means the tainted politicians could be batting for two or three innings in Parliament. Since what is morally wrong can never be politically right, such persons with questionable record and charged with criminal offences should at least never be inducted into any Cabinet. Aires Rodrigues Ribandar
