By IANS
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday asked the Election Commission to direct the presidential candidates to declare their assets and details of any criminal cases registered against them.
The BJP request came after the returning officer for the July 19 presidential election completed Monday the process of scrutiny of the nomination papers of all the 84 candidates and cleared the papers of only two of them – United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who is contesting as an independent supported by the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A BJP delegation including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Ananth Kumar and Santosh Gangwar visited the Election Commission headquarters here and handed over to Election Commissioner Navin Chawla a detailed letter by Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani.
"Since Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami was away, Chawla told us that he would convey our demand to the CEC," Prasad said.
The BJP leaders said the Election Commission is well within its rights to direct the presidential candidates even at this late stage to declare their assets.
"Now that the MPs, MLAs and even the municipal councillors have to declare their assets, it is only proper that someone aspiring to occupy the highest office of the country should be asked to declare his or her assets," said the BJP spokesman.
"This (demand) is not against any individual," said Prasad when asked whether they were now looking for new means to attack Patil.
In his letter, Advani said: "The higher the post, the highest should be the level of scrutiny.
"Presently only an MP can become a prime minister or a minister at the Centre. As MP he has to file the requisite declaration before getting elected. Similarly only a member of the state legislature can become chief minister or a minister in the state government who also has to file a similar document before election."
He said, "It is therefore essential that the background of each candidate in relation to the pending criminal cases, dues of the government bodies and financial institutions are disclosed."
Advani added, "The Election Commission would be failing in its duty if it did not make effective the right to information and knowledge available to each voter.
"Even though the process for the election for the president has already commenced, it is incumbent for the Election Commission even now to require all candidates to make necessary disclosures as are expected from the candidates seeking to enter legislative bodies."
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, acting now as Shekhawat's spokesperson, welcomed Advani's move and said, "as soon as the Election Commission directs us we will provide all the details the very next day."