‘Anti-national’, ‘sedition’ loosely used these days: Supreme Court

Words such as ‘sedition’ and ‘anti-national’ were bandied about loosely these days, often with political overtones, the Supreme Court has said. Hearing a contempt petition moved by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay on criminalisation in politics, Justice Rohington Nariman, sitting alongside Justice S Ravindra Bhat, said “it is very easy to frame anyone with such charge... now charges with political overtones are brought in”.

SC has already ordered that chargesheeted politicians and those against whom charges were framed cannot contest polls. The court has also directed contestants to reveal criminal antecedents ahead of elections and ordered political parties and candidates to publicise such details in major newspapers for the benefit of the voter. However, these orders are often not observed, Upadhyay said in his contempt petition.

The EC acknowledged existing orders and laws were inadequate to deal with the menace of criminalisation of politics but suggested that the court crack down on parties which give tickets to criminals. There have been suggestions that the court go after candidates against whom FIRs have been filed six months before the polls. This has been opposed earlier, but the court has been mulling this for quite some time. Representing the EC, senior advocate Vikas Singh said that the percentage of criminal politicians had gone up in recent years. It now stands at 43%. EC, however, resisted any idea of imposing a penalty on political parties saying it was not permissible under existing laws.