PM Modi lauds Supreme Court judgment on ‘immunity in bribery cases’, says ‘SWAGATAM…it will clean politics’
Supreme Court's judgment on ‘immunity in bribery case’ and asserted that ‘it will clean politics’. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ruled that the members of parliament and state assemblies are not immune from prosecution in bribery cases.
Lauding the judgment, PM Modi said on X (formerly Twitter), a great judgment by the Hon’ble Supreme Court which will ensure clean politics and deepen people’s faith in the system. A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud cited that a five-judge bench's interpretation in the 1998 verdict (popularly known as PV Narasimha Rao judgment) was contrary to Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution.
Articles 105 and 194 deal with the powers and privileges of MPs and MLAs in the Parliament and the legislative assemblies. To put things into context, in 1998, the five-judge constitution bench in the PV Narasimha Rao versus CBI case, had held that lawmakers had immunity under the Constitution against criminal prosecution for any speech made and vote cast inside the House.
The seven-judge bench was reconsidering the 1998 judgment. During the arguments, the Centre had submitted that bribery can never be a subject matter of immunity and a parliamentary privilege is not meant to place a lawmaker above law.
The top court, in the course of the hearing, had said it will examine whether the immunity granted to lawmakers from prosecution for taking bribes to make a speech or vote in Parliament and state legislatures extends to them even if criminality is attached to their actions. Finally the CJI, who read the operative part of the verdict, said today, "Corruption and bribery by members of the legislatures erode probity in public life." The bench also comprised Justices A
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