By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government should set an example by not giving a ministerial berth to any MP with a criminal background, a NGO Said Tuesday.
“With the unambiguous mandate, it is expected that the Congress and the UPA will provide clean and exemplary governance. It would therefore be appropriate that none of the newly elected MPs with criminal cases pending against them are made ministers in the new government,” said Jagdeep. S. Chhokar of National Election Watch (NEW), in a letter sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He also called for MPs with criminal cases pending against them not being made parliamentary secretaries or be nominated to any of the parliamentary committees.
A copy of the letter has also been sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
According to NEW, there are 41 Congress MPs who have criminal records and 15 such MPs among the pre-poll allies of the UPA. The letter sent to the prime minister also has the details of the cases registered against 56 MPs.
The NEW also sent a list of newly elected MPs from the smaller parties and the independents, with criminal cases pending against them.
“These are groups whose support the UPA might need or take to ensure more than adequate strength in the Lok Sabha. The hope here is that though their support may be taken, no one with a criminal case pending against him/her will be made a minister (cabinet minister, minister of state, deputy minister), parliamentary secretary, chairperson/member of a parliamentary committee,” the letter said.
“With the Congress having the ambition of becoming the ‘natural party of governance’, it is expected to set standards of political probity and morality which other political parties should aspire to reach,” the letter added.