Even considering as the article as it stands, I think this amendment is to a certain extent necessary, purely for the purpose of clarifying the content of the article. But now, in view of the amendment moved by Shri Krishna Chandra Sharma, it is necessary for us to make this absolutely clear. It is likely that, in case Mr. Sharma’s amendment is accepted, a person may contest the election again for the presidentship some years after his first or second term. It may be said against this amendment that the party nominating a candidate will certainly not nominate a person who has been removed from office by impeachment. But, considering that public memory is so short and even party memory is short, and there have been instances in various countries of the world where men who have been accused and impeached for corruption and other nefarious practices have been able to fill some office or other at a later date when people had forgotten the past such a provision becomes necessary. Such things have happened in many countries and it is not unlikely that such a thing may happen here also–God forbid–when party memory being short one cannot completely exclude the possibility of some person who has been guilty of corruption or other misdemeanor being put up to contest the election many years later. Therefore it is only to clarify the whole content of this article that a person who has been impeached cannot stand for election at any time say, 5,10 or 20 years later that I have moved this amendment. It is necessary to lay down that even though people may forget or overlook the fact that a person had been impeached and removed from office, he should not have the right to contest the election for the Presidentship of the Indian Union.
