The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Delayed justice

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Friday, Feb 16, 2007
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Delayed justice

The Supreme Court's verdict disqualifying 13 MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party who defected and later formed the Loktantrik Bahujan Dal in Uttar Pradesh is welcome. This hopefully will pave the way for the disqualification of another 24 MLAs who also defected to form the LBD.

The development is no doubt a serious setback for the Mulayam Singh Government. As usual, the verdict is a case of delayed justice.

Shiv Shankar Das,
New Delhi

* * *

At last, the BSP has got justice. The judgment disqualifying the 13 MLAs is nothing more than a moral victory for the victim party. It raises serious questions about the role of the Speaker in the Assembly and shows the extent to which our political institutions have eroded. The Speaker is expected to conduct the House impartially. But today, the Speaker's office has become an instrument of the party in power.

It is time to implement the Administrative Reforms Commission's recommendation that the power of disqualifying MPs and MLAs be taken away from the presiding officers.

Shashikant Singh,
Roorkee

* * *

The verdict has come too late in the day. Most of the disqualified MLAs were either made Ministers or given other plum posts in government. Speakers, unfortunately, act only as tools of the ruling party when it comes to taking a decision on disqualification pleas. Courts take years to decide on the matter. In the present instance, the disqualification is virtually meaningless.

Once an elected representative is disqualified for defection, he or she should be barred from contesting any election.

N. Ramamurthy,
Chennai

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