NEW DELHI: Noting that the common man was bogged down by corruption and there was a need to fix accountability at all levels, the Supreme Court on Friday said the country needed teachers who were nation-builders.
While hearing a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Updhyay seeking to debar those against whom charges have been framed in heinous criminal cases from contesting elections, a Bench of Justice KM Joseph and Justice BV Nagarathna said India would have to go back to its core values and character if it had to truly become what it’s striving for.
“The common man in India is bogged down by corruption. Go to any government office, you cannot come out unscathed. Noted jurist Nani Palkhivala in his book ‘We the People’ has spoken about this. If we have to truly become a nation we are striving for, we need to come back to our core values and character. If we get back to our values, we will have a nation we strive for,” said Bench.
Justice Joseph, however, said he would prefer not to say anything on what’s happening in the name of democracy. “I will not make any comments. There is a Constitution Bench judgement on this issue and the court has held that it cannot add anything to the law, apart from what is added and it is up to the government to look into it,” Justice Joseph said even as Justice Nagarathna noted that there’s a need to fix accountability at all levels.
Updhyay contended that a person against whom charges were framed in a heinous offence couldn’t become even a sweeper in a government office or a police constable but the same person could become a minister even if he was booked for offences such as murder, extortion and kidnapping.
Asking the Centre and the Election Commission to respond to the PIL in three weeks, the Bench posted the PIL for final hearing on April 10. Election Commission counsel Amit Sharma told the top court that it’s for Parliament to take a call on debarring a person from contesting elections at the stage of framing of charges.