Those charged with heinous crime shouldn't contest polls: Neelam Katara

With the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Ayodhya seat, Bazmi Siddiqui, booked for gang rape, social activist Neelam Katara on Sunday said those charged with heinous crime should have the moral responsibility not to contest the elections.

"Any one charged with a heinous crime, be it murder, kidnap, dacoit or rape should not be allowed to contest the elections. He should himself step down if his party does not ask him to do so," Katara told ANI.

She asserted that a law should be made to ensure that those accused of such crimes do not fight the elections.

"This is a time of elections and, therefore, it is coming up now, but these incidents happen all the time and nobody pays heed," said Katara.

"A message is going to the common man that to be a big politician one needs to be a big criminal, which I think is very wrong," she emphasized.

Katara further said the hands of the police are tied.

"The system needs changes, which the politicians are not willing to bring. The police are completely controlled by the state. So, there is no solution," she asserted.

A case of gang-rape and robbery was registered against Siddiqui, who is contesting from Ayodhya and seven other accused here.

"Seeing the huge lead of the BSP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, our opponents are frustrated and are trying to frame me in false cases," Siddiqui told ANI.

A similar case was filed against him earlier, but no evidence was found to prove the charges.

"She is the same woman who had filed a case against me earlier, now she has filed another case. Earlier also police probed the matter and didn't find any proof against me. This time also they are not going to get any evidence," Siddiqui said, while claiming that he was in Lucknow from past two days, when the incident is said to have taken place.