29 May,2009 10:52 AM IST | | Prawesh Lama
As if having MPs and legislators having criminal records were not enough, nine out of the 79 ministers in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's team have cases pending against them.
The Congress has seven ministers with criminal cases against them while Trinamool Congress and DMK have one such minister each.
The Prime Minister on Thursday said the availability of talent and "other considerations" played role in choosing ministers. With such members being included in the group of ministers what these other considerations are is anybody's guess.
The Minister's having criminal cases against them are : Food processing minister Subodh Kant Sahay (Cong), Social Justice and Empowerment minister Mukul Wasnik (Cong), Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken (Cong), Minister of State for Labour Harish Rawat (Cong), Minister of State for Youth & Sports Arun Yadav (Cong), Minister of State for Heavy Industries Pratik Prakashbabu Patil (Cong), Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Kumar Jain (Cong), Minister of State for Rural Development Sisir Kumar Adhikari (Trinamool Congress) and Minister of State for Health S Gandhiselvan (DMK).
Ajay Maken, a former Minister of State for Urban Development and a Delhi MP has a case pending under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 341(wrongful restraint). Shishir Kumar Adhikiri has been charged for theft, apart from the numerous charges slapped against him.
Most of the other ministers have been charged for rioting.
