SHILLONG, Feb 25: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has downplayed the apprehensions of criminalisation of politics in the country, saying the Election Commission of India has made rules and regulations to address the concerns.
Reacting to a query here on the number of criminals who have made their way into the Indian politics and as public representatives, Birla said, “India has a democracy and individuals who made the Constitution kept people as their centre of focus so that people rule the country and representatives are elected by people”.
“The representatives who are elected by people get an opportunity as per the Constitution to be the representatives of people in Parliament, legislative Assemblies, panchayats and any other institutions,” he said.
According to Birla, the Election Commission of India has made rules and regulations to keep criminals out of the system.
“Those who fall under those rules cannot become a representative of the public and those who fit in outside the rules have the right to make their point in Parliament.”
Asked if there should be a basic minimum qualification for public representatives, the LS Speaker said that individuals who made the Constitution must have discussed the matter and made laws in accordance with the prevailing situation at that time.
“Even the Election Commission keeps on discussing the matter from time to time with different NGOs and constitutional experts,” he said.
The response of the Lok Sabha Speaker assumes significance. Over the last three general elections, there has been an alarming increase of criminals in politics.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report 2019, out of the 7,928 candidates analysed in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, 1,500 (19 per cent) candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves.
As compared to this, in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, out of the 8,205 candidates analysed, 1,404 (17 per cent) candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves.
During the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, of the 7,810 candidates analysed, 1,158 (15 per cent) candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves.
The ADR report states that 1,070 (13 per cent) candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha 2019 elections had declared serious criminal cases including cases pertaining to rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women, etc.
The ADR report also shows that 265 (49 per cent) constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections had three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.
In 2014, there were 245 (45 per cent) constituencies in the category and in 2009, 196 (36 per cent) constituencies fell in the same category.
Earlier, Birla said he would have a detailed discussion on how the autonomous district councils could be empowered so that it could work efficiently and fulfil the aspirations of the people.