Patna. The Supreme Court has given a big decision saying that MPs and MLAs will not get any relief from prosecution in cases like bribery. The bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud of the Supreme Court of India clearly said that MPs and MLAs are not exempted from prosecution in case of taking bribe for voting or giving speech in the House.
Responding to this on social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the Supreme Court has taken a great decision, which will ensure clean politics and deepen people’s faith in the system. Now after this decision of the Supreme Court, PM Modi’s support has also increased the tension of the leaders. There is a lot of commotion regarding this especially in Bihar.
In fact, a seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud unanimously overturned the 1998 verdict delivered by a five-judge bench in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) bribery case. At that time, in this decision, a bench of five judges had exempted MPs and MLAs from prosecution in the case of taking bribe for voting or giving speech in the House.
But now the Chief Justice, while delivering the judgment, said that bribery cases are not protected under parliamentary privileges and the interpretation of the 1998 judgment is contrary to Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution.The Constitution Bench said in its decision that Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution relate to the powers and privileges of MPs and MLAs in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.
Justice Chandrachud, while reading the main part of the judgment for the bench, said that bribery cases do not have immunity under these articles as it destroys integrity in public life. After the SC decision, experts on constitutional and legal matters are now saying that this decision of the Supreme Court will also impact the politics of Bihar. Especially some leaders of opposition parties may come under investigation due to this decision.
