New Delhi: The Supreme Court has been moved seeking a direction to the Central government to take appropriate steps to restrict the misuse of religion for electoral gains, debar candidates from contesting elections and deregister political parties which misuse the religion for electoral gains.

Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, spokesperson of the BJP, in a fresh PIL said it has been observed, particularly since 2000 onwards, that not only in Parli-ament and state Assembly elections, but also in byelections, religious statements are made to support particular political parties and candidates, which is against the basic dictum of democracy and free and fair election in the spirit of Articles 14, 19 and 324 of the Constitution.

He submitted that while the first three general elections (1952-62) were, by and large, free and fair, over the years our electoral system has developed serious maladies of corruption, criminalisation, communalisation and casteism, which seriously vitiate the outcome of the election. Apart from checking the growing influence of money and muscle power, and attempts to polarise voting on caste/community lines, some other areas of dire concern that need urgent and effective action.

He pointed out that the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 1990, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, particularly, to restrict the misuse of religion in the election. However, the government withdrew it in December 1993 stating to come up with a comprehensive and better-revised Bill. But, the successive governments did nothing in this regard till date.