EC takes a U turn, bats for convicted politicians!

New Delhi: The Election Commission took a U-turn today on the issue of a PIL seeking a permanant ban on the convicted and charge sheeted Members of Parliament and the state Legislative Assembly, as it told the apex court that it did not want a permanent ban on the convicted MPs and MLAs, but it supported the decriminalisation of politics within a certain framework.

The apex court division bench, headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising Justice Navin Sinha, was hearing the public interest Litigation (PIL) filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, seeking a permanent or a lifetime ban on the convicted and chargesheeted MPs and MLAs. "We support the cause of the petitioner, but there should be a certain framework for decriminalisation of politics, " the EC's lawyer told the top court.

The apex court also asked the Election Commission to make its stand clear on the issue on the next date of hearing on July 18. The arguments, which were inconclusive today, would continue on the next date of hearing in the top court on the fourth week of July.

The BJP leader, Upadhyay, had knocked the doors of the apex court seeking a direction to permanently ban for life those convicted and charge sheeted MPs and MLAs and sought speedy disposal of cases registered against them. At the last hearing, the EC had stated that it supported the petitioner's cause for lifetime ban on convicted and charge sheeted MPs and MLAs. (UNI)