Advocate Aires Rodrigues on Tuesday sought the intervention of Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai to ensure that MLAs facing criminal charges are not inducted as Ministers.
In his representation, Advocate Rodrigues has urged Governor Pillai to prevail upon the next Chief Minister of Goa not to induct those in the Cabinet with criminal pasts.
Drawing Governor Pillai's attention to that, some of the elected MLAs are having very serious criminal cases pending against them, he, in his letter, pointed out that Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho is the main accused in the 2001 infamous multi-crore Power scam case while Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte and Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monseratte are the prime accused in the 2008 Panaji Police Station attack case and that Babush Monseratte is also currently facing criminal charges of having raped a minor girl.
Pointing out that in a landmark Judgment the Supreme Court in 2014 had advised not to induct in the cabinet charge-sheeted persons facing trial, Adv. Rodrigues stated, "the Court had rightly observed that criminalization of Politics destroyed people's faith in democracy and that constitutional morality, good governance, and constitutional trust expected good sense not to recommend any person with criminal charges from being appointed as a Minister."
The Supreme Court had further observed that criminalization of politics is anathema to the sacredness of democracy, Adv. Rodrigues has further stated, "the Court had also observed that the systemic corruption and sponsored criminalization could corrode the fundamental core of elective democracy and consequently Constitutional governance."
Adv. Rodrigues in his representation today has also drawn Governor Pillai's attention that India's highest court has ruled that our democratic Republic polity hopes and aspires to be governed by a Government that is run by elected representatives who do not have any involvement in criminal offences.
Adv. Rodrigues has in this letter to Governor Pillai also recalled that in 2008 Goa's then Minister Dayanand Narvekar was made to tender his resignation as Minister after he was charge-sheeted for criminal offences.
Urging Governor Pillai to issue necessary and appropriate directions in the best interests of Good governance Adv. Rodrigues has expressed the hope that in keeping with the 2014 Supreme Court judgment persons having criminal cases pending against them are not made Ministers.
( With inputs from ANI )
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