Sir — This refers to the report, “Onus on PM to keep tainted netas out of Cabinet: SC” (August 28). In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has left the decision of giving ministerial positions to persons of dubious reputation to the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers. Most political party are reluctant to penalise tainted persons for the fear of losing the latter’s vote-bank.
There is no political party which has not issued tickets to tainted persons for contesting the lok Sabha and Assembly elections. If the tickets are not issued at all to tainted persons for contesting elections, in the first place, then the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers will not find it difficult to prevent these people from entering the Union and State Council of Ministers.
Also, only those who have been convicted in a court of law should be considered as ‘tainted persons’, since politically-motivated charges are often framed against public figures. Sadly, not all those facing serious criminal charges are convicted in a court of law.