BJP hails SC order on lawmakers, says it strikes a balance

New Delhi: BJP Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court order asking courts to complete trials against MPs and MLAs in one year, saying it strikes a balance by upholding the presumption of innocence till held guilty while putting lawmakers under strict and expeditious scrutiny.

Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said existing laws, which disqualified MPs and debarred people from contesting elections only upon conviction, had led to a disconnect between the legal requirement and public opinion. The court order, he said, respects the principle that a person is presumed to be innocent till held guilty and also provides a filter against motivated charge sheets. "It doesn`t debar persons on being merely charged. At the same time no MP or MLA has a right to a delayed trial. Since he holds a public office, he must be like Caesar`s wife beyond suspicion," he said. The apex court yesterday passed the interim order, holding that where MPs and MLAs are facing corruption cases and other serious offences which involve a punishment of two years or more, the trial will be held on a day-to-day basis and completed within a year from the date of framing of charges. The BJP leader argued that criminalisation of politics has been a very serious issue confronting Indian polity and said the malady has been that persons with criminal track record and pending charge sheets are fielded by parties. "This creates apprehension in the mind of the country with regard to the quality of politics and the kind of persons who enter the legislative bodies," he said. Political parties have argued, he said, that under law there is a presumption of innocence till somebody is held guilty and the framing of a charge itself being a disqualification can lead to an abuse of the process. "What then is the solution? Can the system remain a mute spectator? The Supreme Court has attempted to find a solution... I welcome the order. It is a step in the right direction," he said.