A vast majority of Indians, about 98 per cent, want criminals out of Parliament and Assemblies, says a national survey by global online campaign network, Avaaz.org.
The survey comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court rejecting the UPA Government’s review petition against its decision to bar convicted politicians from continuing in Parliament or State Assemblies.
Meanwhile, the Government has introduced a Bill in Parliament, seeking an amendment in the Representation of the People (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2013, which, if passed, would overturn the apex court’s ruling.
According to the survey, conducted by Marketing & Development Research Associates and Avaaz.org, covering 8,000 people across India, 96.6 per cent people thought that those convicted of serious crimes should not be allowed to govern the country.
In a press release, Avaaz said several public figures, including some Parliamentarians, such as Jay Panda of the Biju Janata Dal and Dinesh Trivedi of Trinamool Congress, were backing their campaign to keep criminals out Parliament and Assemblies.
The release quoted Panda as saying "Sitting MPs and MLAs ought not to be given benefits which are not available to the average citizen. This defies the equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.”
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha independent MP, has said,”Politicians who have been convicted of criminal offences have no place in Parliament.“
According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, in the 2009 general elections, there were 275 serious criminal cases pending against 76 of the people elected to the Lok Sabha.