SC refused to bar convicted MPs from voting
22 Jul 2008
Mumbai: The Supreme Court has refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to restrain MPs convicted by courts for various offences from participating in the crucial trust vote in Parliament.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan has denied urgent hearing to a petition filed by an advocate from Uttar Pradesh that sought a direction for debarring three MPs - Mohd Shahbuddin, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav (both RJD) and Suraj Bhan Singh (LJP) - all serving life sentence - from participating in the trust motion.
The advocate's submission that allowing the convicted MPs to vote in the House would send a wrong signal when the entire nation was keenly watching the confidence motion, however, did not impress the bench.
The bench will take up the matter in due course when it is listed for hearing.
The jailed MPs who participated in the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha today included RJD MP Md Shahabuddin serving his term at Siwan jail.
Some leagal experts are of the view that people who are charged with heinous crime or convicted by the lower courts should not be allowed to come to the House or vote.
Senior CPM leader Nilotpal Basu also said: ''We don't think convicted MPs should be mobilised in this manner by political parties.''
Parties across the nuclear divide, however, lined up their notorious members to vote as every vote was crucial, and because the jailbirds were entitled to vote.
