All parties should disclose candidates' criminal background in 48 hours: SC rules

New Delhi: The Supreme Court ruling that all political parties should disclose the criminal antecedents of their candidates within 48 hours after their selection for elections is being seen as a big step towards freeing politics from criminals.

Today, the Supreme Court overturned its earlier verdict that had demanded parties to make public the criminal records of their candidates in at least two weeks before the first date of their filing nomination papers, limiting the time span to 48 hours.

The court was hearing a petition seeking the initiation of contempt of court against political parties that failed to make public the criminal records of their candidates as per February 2020 ruling and demanding the suspension of political parties' symbols that do not divulge the criminal backgrounds of their candidates.

Political parties have been asked to explain why they have chosen a person with criminal background along with the details of cases against him and all the records shall be uploaded on their party website.

There is an Election Commission direction to political parties to publish the details of candidates in newspapers. The Supreme Court also heard an unconditional apology from the CPI (M) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for not obeying the Court order in terms of publishing the criminal cases charged against their candidates in the Bihar Assembly elections.