New Delhi, July 10
The Supreme Court today expressed its displeasure over Centre’s failure to make its stand clear on the inclusion of “tainted” ministers in the Manmohan Singh government after repeated orders and fixed a deadline of two weeks for it to file an affidavit.
“We want to know the stand of the government on the appointment of tainted ministers. You must indicate in affidavit what is the stand of the government,” a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice C.K. Thakker and Mr Justice P.K. Balasubramaniyan told Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam.
The court, which had also made all states as parties in a PIL raising the issue, directed them to submit their replies with regard to the inclusion of people with criminal background in state Council of Ministers.
In a brief order, the court said the Centre must make its stand clear “one way and the other on the point raised in the petition with regard to the appointment of ministers in the Cabinet in the Centre or state who may have criminal background”.
The court directed that all Advocates-General of the states be served with its notices issued earlier for impleading the states governments to ensure that their replies were submitted within two weeks.
The court said since the matter had been referred to a Constitution Bench, it could not be constituted to have a regular hearing on it till the replies were received from the Centre and the states.
