The apex court also sought an explanation from the parties over the selection of such candidates and said the information must be uploaded on social media as well as published in newspapers.
In an attempt to decriminalise politics, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed political parties to upload on their websites details of pending criminal cases against candidates contesting elections.
A bench headed by Justice F Nariman from the parties over the selection of such candidates and said the information must be uploaded on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and in one local vernacular and one national newspaper.
The Supreme Court said the parties must submit a report of compliance to the Election Commission within 74 hours of selecting such candidates, failing which the poll panel must inform the apex court.
The court’s direction came after it noted an alarming increase in criminalisation of politics in the last four general elections.
The court passed orders on a contempt plea which raised the issue of criminalisation of politics claiming that directions given by the apex court in its September 2018 verdict relating to disclosure of criminal antecedents by candidates are not being followed.
Source: The Indian Express
