Ethics are decreasing day by day in the politicians of our country. Many big leaders remain in discussions after seeing controversial statements. At the same time, criminal cases are being registered against many elected MLAs, MPs, Ministers and other public representatives. Due to which the image of those working in the field of politics is getting tarnished. In the politics of the country, crime has been soaked today that it is not known which people’s representative is a criminal and whose image is clean. Where people of criminal tendency have become political tainted. At the same time, the distance of the leaders of the leaders has also started increasing. Currently a political business has been formed. In politics, the same people who are either from the family of big leaders or are of a lot of money. In the field of politics, now service, organization, loyal workers have no importance. Politics has completely indulged in the glare of money.
There was a time when the party worker working on the ground became a public representative later. The leader who got up from the ground used to stay connected with the general public and he was also aware of the happiness and sorrow of the people. Therefore, he used to work in the interest of the common man. But now people have started doing politics by getting down from the parachute on the strength of money. He wins the election only on the strength of money. Therefore, they have nothing to do with the problems of common people. Such leaders are carriers of five star culture. Such leaders first spend a lot of money to enter politics and when they reach a post, they earn money by corruption. Due to such people, today politics has become a business rather than social service.
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In the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, I have seen Shivnath Singh Gill, who defeated Krishna Kumar Birla of the country’s largest industrial house in Jhunjhunu seat as an MLA from 1998 to 2003. He used to go from his area to Jaipur or go to the assembly from his home and always used a government bus. Never wandered from private vehicles. Due to this, he played 50 years long innings in politics. He was honest, that’s why he lived honestly. Today we see that small workers of political parties also roam in expensive vehicles worth several lakh rupees. No party leader asks them where the money comes from to buy such expensive vehicles. Everyone knows that the exemption in politics today is also earning money in the brokerage of power. Big leaders are also part of brokerage money. That is why no one raises his finger towards them.
A report by the Association of Democratic Reforms, an NGO working on election reform, has revealed that 45 percent of the MLAs of the country have criminal cases. The organization has analyzed the electoral affidavit of 4092 out of a total of 4123 MLAs from three union territories of 28 states and assembly of the country. In which 138 out of 174 in Andhra Pradesh, 79 percent of the MLAs, while in Sikkim, only one MLA 3 percent has declared criminal cases against them. Out of the highest number of 134 MLAs of the Telugu Desam Party, 115 i.e. 86 percent have criminal cases.
The said report revealed that 1861 MLAs have announced a criminal case against them. It has serious allegations like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crime against women. According to the report, 54 MLAs are accused of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. At the same time, 226 are accused of attempt to murder under Section 307 and Section 109 of the Indian Justice Code. Apart from this, 127 MLAs have cases of crimes against women. Of these, 13 are accused of rape under sections 376 and 376 (2) (D) of the Indian Code. Section 376 (2) (D) is related to frequent sexual harassment of the same victim.
According to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms, 251 (46 percent) out of 543 Lok Sabha members have criminal cases. 27 of them have been convicted. According to the report, this is the largest number of candidates facing criminal allegations elected in the Lok Sabha. A total of 233 MPs (43 percent) declared criminal cases against them. While 185 (34 percent) in 2014, 162 (30 percent) in 2009 and 125 (23 percent) in 2004 are criminal cases against MPs. Out of 251 candidates selected for the Lok Sabha in 2024, 170 (31 percent) have serious criminal cases including rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crime against women. The analysis showed that it is also an increase in 2019 compared to 159 (29 percent) MPs, 112 (21 percent) MPs in 2014 and 76 (14 percent) MPs in 2009.
According to ADR, 94 (39 percent) out of 240 winning candidates of BJP, which emerged as the largest party in the 18th Lok Sabha, have declared criminal cases. Out of 99 winning candidates of Congress, 49 (49 percent) have declared criminal cases and 21 (45 percent) out of 37 Samajwadi Party candidates are criminal charges. The analysis found that 63 (26 percent) BJP candidates, 32 (32 percent) Congress candidates and 17 (46 percent) Samajwadi Party candidates have declared serious criminal cases. It states that seven (24 percent) TMC candidates, six (27 percent) DMK candidates, five (31 percent) TDP candidates and four (57 percent) Shiv Sena candidates are facing serious criminal cases.
According to the report, 19 out of 20 (95 percent) MPs from Kerala have criminal cases of criminals, out of which 11 are related to serious crimes. Criminal cases are pending against MPs in Telangana, 14 out of 17 (82 percent), 16 out of 21 in Odisha, 10 out of 14 in Jharkhand and 26 out of 39 in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, about 50 percent of MPs have criminal cases registered in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, Haryana 10 and Chhattisgarh 11 MPs have criminal cases against only one MP. Criminal cases are pending against 2 out of 13 MPs in Punjab, 3 out of 14 in Assam, 3 out of 7 in Delhi, 4 out of 25 in Rajasthan, 5 out of 25 in Gujarat and 9 out of 29 MPs from Madhya Pradesh.
A total of 4,732 criminal cases were pending against current or former MLAs by 1 January 2025. Most of these cases have 1,171 cases registered in Uttar Pradesh. Odisha (457), Bihar (448), Maharashtra (442), Madhya Pradesh (326), Kerala (315), Telangana (313), Karnataka (255), Tamil Nadu (220), Jharkhand (133) and Delhi (124) are pending.
Looking at the above data, it seems that the number of criminals in our country’s politics is increasing rapidly. If it is not controlled in time, then it will become a big canker for the country. There will be a time when politics will be completely criminalized and people of clean image will go away from politics. Such a situation will not be good for the country. The government will also have to take strict steps in this direction, only then the number of criminals in politics will be controlled.
– Ramesh Saraf Dhamora
(The author is an independent journalist recognized by the Government of Rajasthan.)
