Criminal charges no bar for ministers

Twelve Union ministers have criminal records, according to their poll affidavits

The spotlight is on ministers facing criminal charges after Nihalchand Meghwal, Union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers, was recently summoned by a court in Rajasthan over a rape case.

Twelve Union ministers have criminal records, according to their election affidavits. Seven of them are accused of "serious crimes".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told Parliament he was hurt by the general perception of "criminal MPs" and called for expediting cases against them. The Prime Minister said such cases should be tried within a year after consultation with the Supreme Court.

The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), which compiles data on assets and the background of parliamentarians and legislators from their affidavits to the Election Commission, found 12 Union ministers facing criminal charges, of which seven were allegedly involved in serious crimes like attempted murder, assault, kidnap and rape. (UNDER THE LENS)

According to ADR the criteria for serious crimes includes attempt to murder, assault, kidnapping, rape; offences entailing punishment of 5 years or more; also electoral violations; offences under Prevention of Corruption Act; offences that are mentioned in Representation of the People Act; offences related to loss to exchequer; crimes against women.

The Association of Democratic Reforms says Meghwal had not disclosed any criminal charge in his election affidavit and his name does not figure in its list of ministers with criminal cases.

Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has 13 cases pending against her in various courts. One of these is the Ram Janmabhoomi demolition in 1992. She is also accused of attempted murder, criminal intimidation and promoting enmity between different groups.

Charges were framed against the late Gopinath Munde in connection with a kidnapping. The other ministers facing charges of serious crimes include Harsh Vardhan, Maneka Gandhi, Nitin Gadkari, V K Singh, Upendra Kushwaha and Ram Vilas Paswan, all accused of serious crimes that are being tried in various courts.

Other ministers with criminal records include Danve Raosaheb Dadarao, Jual Oram, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Narendra Singh Tomar and Dharmendra Pradhan.

Even before the formation of the Union Council of Ministers, the ADR and the National Election Watch, had written to Modi suggesting that members of Parliament (MPs) with serious criminal cases should not be made ministers or be allowed to chair important parliamentary committees.

The letter to Modi said 186 of the 541 MPs in the Lok Sabha had criminal cases against them, including 98 MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Of these, 63 Bharatiya Janata Party MPs faced serious criminal charges.