Bangaru Laxman sentenced 4 years for a bribery case

Bangaru Laxman sentenced 4 years for a bribery case

A Delhi court has sentenced former BJP President Bangaru Laxman to four years rigorous imprisonment for taking one lakh rupees as bribe in a fictitious defence deal case. Turning down his plea for leniency, Special CBI Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora also imposed a fine of one lakh rupees on Laxman. Later he was taken to Tihar Jail. His counsel said they will move the high court to challenge his conviction. The sentencing comes 11 years after Bangaru Laxman was caught taking bribe in a sting operation by Portal Tehelka.

Holding corruption as worse than prostitution, the Judge said it endangers the whole society. He said one has to shun the attitude of 'sab chalta hai,' where nothing moves without bribe. The court said by accepting the bribe, Laxman had agreed to compromise with the security and safety of the nation and the lives of lakhs of soldiers, who without fearing for their lives, fight for the nation.

He had also agreed to help a company - M/s Westend International - coming to him for getting a supply order of defence related equipments to Indian Army. The court, thus convicted him under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The judge in its 14-page order on sentence said the case was one of political corruption as Laxman had committed the crime when he was the chief of a political party which was the largest constituent of the then NDA government.

This is the first instance of a national party president getting convicted and sentenced to a jail term in a corruption case for accepting bribe in his office chamber in the party headquarters in 2001.

The BJP has termed the conviction of its former Party President Bangaru Laxman as a decision of the court on his personal conduct and not on the party. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, party spokesperson, Shahnawaz Hussain said that BJP is against corruption and never covers up any type of corruption.

While reacting on this issue, the Congress said that it is a matter of concern that a national president of a party was convicted in a fictitious graft case. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, the party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said that BJP should introspect about his organisation

News- SC upholds EC criteria on symbol allotment

SC upholds EC criteria on symbol issue

Permanent symbol would be granted only to political parties which have garnered at least 5% votes in assembly elections or have managed to win two assembly seats or one seat in the parliamentary elections from the state

New Delhi: In a majority verdict, the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the criteria of the Election Commission (EC) for granting symbols to unrecognised registered political parties, reports PTI

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Altamas Kabir, S S Nijjar and Jasti Chelameswar upheld the panel's symbol order by a two to one majority. Justice Chelameswar wrote the dissenting order against EC's symbol criteria.

The court passed the order on a batch of petitions filed by state political parties, challenging the symbol order of the EC.

According to the EC's order, permanent symbol is granted to those political parties which have garnered atleast five per cent votes inassembly elections or have managed to win two assembly seats or one seat in the parliamentary elections from the state.

Several parties including, the then Praja Rajyam Party, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam had approached the apex court in 2008 against the EC's decision to change their symbol from what was allotted to them previously.Bottom of from what was allotted to them previously.     

Online voting is not possible in the near future 

 - Chief Election Commissioner Dr.SY Quraishi 

Chief Election Commissioner Dr.SY Quraishi on Tuesday said he doesn't see online voting becoming a reality in near future while state funding of elections in the country will first require certain key reforms in the electoral process. "Voting online, technologically is child's play for us. We are an IT superpower. Let's accept that. But we do not see that happening in the near future," Quraishi said at a session on "Governance: The Key to a developed India" a function held at New Delhi