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Journalism of Courage
The Supreme Court has ordered issuance of notices to PM Manmohan Singh, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, MoS Jay Prakash Yadav, M.A.A. Fatmi and Mohd Taslimuddin, and the Cabinet Secretary on a review petition challenging inclusion of ‘‘tainted’’ persons in the Cabinet.
The notices were issued by the bench of Justice N. Santosh Hegde, Justice A.K. Mathur and Justice S.B. Sinha on a petition by journalist Manoj Narula, who requested the court to reconsider the matter as the issue of ‘‘tainted’’ persons was never debated in Parliament.
The petition first came up for hearing on July 16. However, it was dismissed then on the ground that the matter was premature as the same issue was being debated in Parliament. The petitioner cited the statement of the PM at Bangkok expressing the feeling that ‘‘tainted’’ persons should not be made ministers and that parties should evolve a code of conduct on the topic.
He also pointed out that the ministers are required to carry out important constitutional functions and should be of impeccable integrity. The inclusion of ‘‘tainted’’ persons breached the terms of oath given in the Constitution’s Schedule III.
