‘151 MPs, MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women

• MPs and MLAs have declared that they have cases related to crimes against women registered against them

Highlights:

• A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch has revealed concerning statistics about lawmakers in India. According to the analysis, 15 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 135 Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) have declared that they have cases related to crimes against women registered against them.
• The report is based on an examination of affidavits from 755 out of 776 sitting MPs and 3,938 out of 4,033 sitting MLAs across all 28 states and eight Union Territories over the past five years.

Key Findings:

• Highest Number of Lawmakers by State: West Bengal has the highest number of MPs or MLAs with such cases, totaling 25. Andhra Pradesh follows with 21, and Odisha with 17.
• Political Parties: Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of such lawmakers at 54, followed by the Congress with 23, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17.
• Serious Charges: The report highlights that 16 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to rape under IPC Section 376, which is a serious offense carrying a minimum sentence of 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. This includes two MPs and 14 MLAs.

Prelims takeaways:

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