BJP leader files PIL to make bribery an offence

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Ashwini Upadhyay on Thursday filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Supreme Court seeking to make bribery and other election-related offences cognizable and punishable with a minimum of two years of jail sentence.

It is immediately unclear as to when the petition will come up for hearing before the Supreme Court. However, it is believed that the petition will likely come up for hearing after July 1, when the summer vacation ends.

Upadhyay, in his petition, stated that there are many growing instances of false affidavit and it has an appalling effect on a free and fair election.

He pleaded to the apex court for a direction to the central government to take appropriate steps to make false statement or declaration before the Election Commission or other similar authorities and an electoral offence, in line with the important electoral reforms as proposed by the top electoral body.

Upadhyay, in his petition, further sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to increase the punishment for filing false affidavit to two years of imprisonment and declaring it as a corrupt practice and disqualifying such person from contesting the election, as recommended by the Law Commission of India (LCI).

The petition also sought to direct the central government to take appropriate steps to implement the suggestions, as proposed by the EC in Chapter-III of its Proposed Electoral Reforms.