ADR organised a webinar on “Decriminalisation of Politics: Is the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill the right path?” on 15th January 2026 (Thursday) at 04:00 PM (IST).
 

For the agenda, click here.

To watch the webinar, click on any of the following links:

1. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu_t8q9GctA 
2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2860756290796266 
3. Twitter: https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1dRJZaNLRAQGB

The focus points for the webinar are as follows:

1. Can the proposed bill exceed the limits prescribed by the Constitution on qualifications or disqualifications of elected Members of House/State Assembly? Are the rules of disqualification different for Ministers and MPs/MLAs?
2. Is this move just the need for constitutional morality in electoral functioning, or is it a ploy to 'abuse law and investigative agencies' by the governments-in-power?
3. Is there any rule of law which allows a person to be incarcerated by executive fiat without a trial and conviction by a judicial officer?
4. Whether to constitute an offence and attract disqualification, one has to be triable by courts?
5. Is it practicable to expect investigating agencies such as the Police, CBI, ED, and NIA to ever file a case against a sitting PM?
6. Whether the Indian Judiciary, through a series of judgments, has been able to dissuade political parties from giving tickets to candidates with criminal background?
7. Whether the Indian judiciary is right in holding that de-barring persons against whom charges have been framed in serious/heinous crimes falls under the domain of Parliament?
8. Why is Parliament so reluctant to bring in a comprehensive legislation to prohibit persons with criminal background from contesting elections?
9. Whether the proposed bill will actually solve the problem of growing criminalisation of politics, as flagged by many constitutional bodies?

Moderator: Dr Vipul Mudgal (Trustee of ADR)

Speakers:

1. Shri T.S. Krishnamurthy (former Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India)
2. Dr Laxmikant Bajpai (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and National Vice President, Bharatiya Janata Party)
3. Ms Anamika Yadav (National Coordinator, All India Mahila Congress)
4. Dr Fuad Halim (Senior Leader, Communist Party of India (Marxist))
5. Shri Chakshu Roy (Head of Legislative and Civic Engagement Initiatives, PRS Legislative Research)