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| Tuesday, 3 August 2004 |
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Code of conduct needed to prevent criminalisation of politics: Indian PM BANGKOK, Monday (UNI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for evolving a code of conduct to prevent criminalisation of politics and end the controversy over what constitutes criminal activity. Strongly defending the inclusion of ''tainted'' Ministers in his government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters any other option would have led to ''handing over the reins of governance to the BJP'' which was against the people's mandate. All political parties should sit together and evolve a code of conduct and decide what should be done in future to deal with such situations. ''The time has come when all political parties with the good of the nation at heart must sit together and build a consensus.'' Asked whether his image had been dented by the inclusion of tainted ministers, he said the RJD and JMM were important constituents of the UPA and without their cooperation ''we could not have formed the government.'' Further, in a coalition era such things were inevitable unless there were clear cut guidelines. Also, this was not the first time such Ministers were in the government. He said he did not find merit in the classification of political and non-political crimes. ''Was people entering a mosque which led to the killing of hundreds of people not a political crime,'' he questioned. He would have made all the clarifications if he had been allowed to make a statement in Parliament, he said. The Prime Minister was addressing reporters at the conclusion of the first BIMST-EC summit here. |
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