Source: X
Guwahati, March 4: In a landmark decision on Monday, the Supreme Court overturned the 1998 majority judgement in the P V Narasimha Rao case, nullifying the immunity granted to legislators from prosecution for bribery in parliamentary voting. The ruling clarified that Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) cannot claim immunity under Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution when accused of accepting bribes.
Articles 105(2) and 194(2) previously provided MPs and MLAs with immunity for their statements or votes in Parliament and legislative assemblies. The unanimous verdict was delivered by a Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, PV Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Misra.
Shortly after the judgment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the historic decision on microblogging site X, expressing optimism that it would ensure cleaner politics and deepen public trust in the system. The latest ruling, overturning the previous stance, emerged from a seven-judge bench addressing the JMM bribery case, where MPs and MLAs were initially granted immunity for accepting bribes related to speeches or votes in the legislature.