SC: Is govt willing to put a life ban on convicted netas?

In its more than a decade long tryst with the issue of decriminalisation of politics and after passing several orders to bring perceptible changes in polity, the Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to have reached a dead end over a year-old plea for imposing a life ban on convicted netas from contesting polls.

- Dhananjay Mahapatra

A bench of CJI NV Ramana and Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant indicated this after asking additional solicitor general SV Raju to spell out the Centre’s view on the plea of advocate-petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay seeking a life ban on convicted politicians.

When Raju said he has to take instructions on this issue from Centre, the bench said, “It’s almost 15 months since the court sought Centre’s view. Are you willing to impose a life ban on convicted politicians? Unless the Centre takes a decision and consults the Election Commission for enactment of a law or amending the Representation of People Act, it is not easy for this court to decide the issue. The government has to decide whether or not to take the legislative route.”