44% of sitting Member of Parliament (MPs) face criminal charges, 5% are billionaires: Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)

Posted 30 Mar 2024

2 min read

ADR report also highlights that
- 50% of MPs facing criminal charge from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh.
- Among sitting MPs with criminal charges, 29% face serious criminal cases including allegations of murder, attempt to murder, crime against women etc.

About Criminalisation of Politics
- Refers to infiltration of criminals, lawbreakers, and corrupt individuals into political system, who then use their influence to further their own interests at cost of country and its citizens.
- Reasons
  - Growing nexus between political parties and criminals.
  - Lack of laws and rules for governing elections procedure.
  - Money power i.e. Buying votes for another illegitimate purpose.
- Impact
  - Against free and fair elections.
  - Affects good governance and integrity of public servants.
  - Corrupt activities like taking bribes, embezzling public funds etc. damages social fabric of society.

Supreme Court (SC) judgements related to Criminalization of Politics
- Lily Thomas Vs UOI (2013): MPs, State Legislatures convicted of crime with a minimum sentence of 2 years imprisonment would cease to be members of the house.
- Public Interest Foundation v UOI (2018): A person cannot be disqualified from membership in a legislative body on mere framing of criminal charges against them.

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