Convicted former BJP MLA seeks pardon from Governor, Congress questions ‘political duplicity’

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kanwar Lal Meena, convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in a 20-year-old criminal case, has moved a mercy petition before Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade seeking pardon. As part of the process, the opinion of police officials in Jhalawar, where the case was registered in 2005, has been sought.

The former Anta MLA’s Assembly membership was terminated last month after the Rajasthan High Court upheld his conviction and sentence and he surrendered in the trial court following the Supreme Court’s refusal to give any relief. The delay in the decision on Meena’s disqualification had led to a political slugfest between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

The Congress and civil rights groups in Jaipur on Friday (June 27, 2025) questioned “political duplicity” in the matter while affirming that initiating the process for remission of Meena’s sentence amounted to adopting double standards. Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said there seemed to be one law for BJP members and another for common people.

The case against Meena pertained to an incident in February 2005, when he arrived with seven associates at the venue of a protest by the villagers in Jhalawar district demanding a Deputy Sarpanch repoll and brandished a revolver at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. He threatened the SDM and asked him to either announce a repoll within two minutes or get killed.

This was a rare instance for a sitting MLA being disqualified in Rajasthan, though it is not the first case. The Anta seat in Baran district became vacant after Meena’s disqualification, about which the Election Commission has been informed. By-election for the constituency, to be held within six months, is yet to be announced.

Some BJP leaders had favoured seeking pardon or commutation of Meena’s sentence to less than two years by the Governor before his disqualification. After the termination of his membership, the mercy petition has been filed under Article 161 of the Constitution, which empowers the Governor to “grant pardons, etc., and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases”.

The Governor’s office has sought a report from the State government on Meena’s petition. Following this, Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Richa Tomar has sent letters to Station House Officers of Manohar Thana and Aklera police stations, asking them for their opinion, along with the comments of the Circle Officer.

Mr. Jully said the true face of the BJP, which was pretending to be the protector of democracy, had been exposed in Meena’s case. “Is this privilege reserved only for the BJP members? Initiating such a process for a sacked MLA convicted by the court is tantamount to the murder of democracy,” he said, adding that the BJP wanted to run two laws in the country.

The Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan demanded that any process to pardon Meena be stopped with immediate effect, and “strict ethical standards and accountability system” be ensured for MLAs and public representatives. “The attempt to save Meena is a clear instance of misuse of power, which not only insults the basic spirit of the Constitution and the justice system, but also sets double standards for those in power and the people,” Adhikar’s member Nikhil Dey said.

However, Law Minister Jogaram Patel told journalists during his visit to Jodhpur that the filing of a mercy petition before the Governor was a constitutional process to which every convicted person had a right. “The Governor reviews the petition as per the legal provisions and takes a decision. If the sentence is pardoned, Meena’s Assembly seat will be restored… If the Governor takes another decision, the situation as it is today will remain the same,” Mr. Patel said.