Criminalisation of politics is anathema to sacredness of democracy: Supreme Court 28-08-2014
NEW DELHI: Criminalisation of politics creates a dent
in the marrows of the nation which must be curbed, the Supreme Court on Wednesday
said while asking the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers not to induct tainted
people in their ministry.
A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief
Justice RM Lodha, said criminalisation of politics is an “anathema” to the
sacredness of democracy and it required to be handled with extreme care and
circumspection.
“A democratic polity, as understood in its
quintessential purity, is conceptually abhorrent to corruption and, especially
corruption at high places, and repulsive to the idea of criminalisation of
politics as it corrodes the legitimacy of the collective ethos, frustrates the
hopes and aspirations of the citizens and has the potentiality to obstruct, if
not derail, the rule of law,” Justice Dipak Misra, who wrote the judgement,
said.
It said systemic corruption and sponsored criminalization
can corrode the fundamental core of elective democracy and, consequently, the
constitutional governance.
“Criminality and corruption go hand in hand. From the
date the Constitution was adopted, i.e., 26th January, 1950, a Red Letter Day
in the history of India, the nation stood as a silent witness to corruption at
high places. Corruption erodes the fundamental tenets of the rule of law,” it
said.
Describing corruption as a “formidable enemy” of the
nation, Justice Misra said corruption has the potential to destroy many a
progressive aspect of the country.
“A democratic republic polity hopes and aspires to be
governed by a Government which is run by the elected representatives who do not
have any involvement in serious criminal offences or offences relating to
corruption, casteism, societal problems, affecting the sovereignty of the
nation and many other offences,” he said. |