'Do not give ticket to corrupt and criminals'

Tuesday, 31 March 2009, 17:47 IST   |    1 Comments
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New Delhi: Prominent citizens of the country, led by former chief justice of India J.S. Verma, have appealed to the political parties not to give ticket to candidates with criminal background in the upcoming polls. "Our country faces a grim prospect. Our political leaders, even those of unquestionable probity, appear to be unable to stem the rot," Verma says in a petition to be given to all political parties. "Not one political party, national or regional, has so far given salience to either of these issues in their political manifestos. Indeed, early announcements of candidates are replete with the names of those whom we generously call tainted." "In such a situation, it becomes incumbent on all members of civil society to make clear to those who aspire to political office that the people are no longer prepared to tolerate the corruption and criminalisation that have come to characterise our instruments of governance," the appeal says. "We, therefore, appeal to all political parties to desist from giving tickets to tainted politicians, or those who would undermine our constitution and laws. We are no longer prepared to tolerate law-breakers masquerading as law-makers." The petition also appeals to the youth not to vote for those who are corrupt and criminal. The petition has been signed by Justice R. Krishna Iyer, former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan, Maj Gen (retd.) J.P. Gupta, Delhi metro chief E. Sreedharan, scientist M.G.K. Menon and a number of other prominent citizens of the country.
Source: IANS