Vijayawada: The Telugu Desam Party on Sunday said existing laws need to be comprehensively amended to bar economic criminals and other offenders from politics.
"Economic criminals, other criminals and those who became super rich through black money have become a major threat to democracy. The laws should be comprehensively amended to bar such elements and ensure they have no place in politics," TDP said in its political resolution adopted on the final day of its three-day annual conclave 'Mahanadu', at Tirupati.
"Lack of government control in the past over black money has led to the deterioration of the country's economic situation. The unbridled corruption encouraged by the Congress is ruining the country's economy and threatening the democracy," the resolution said.
"Money laundering to countries known as tax havens has increased as economic offenders breached all laws. Such offenders joined hands with other criminals and set up political parties and emerged as a threat to democracy," it said.
The resolution also alluded to corruption cases against leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly and YSRC chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, without naming him, and called it "an example of the deterioration in political values".
The resolution also said only the TDP has the chance of becoming a national party in south India.
"As per Election Commission norms, a party should win 11 Lok Sabha seats in three states to become a national party.
We now have 18 MPs in two states (17 in AP and one in Telangana). If we win at least one Lok Sabha seat in another state, we will officially become a national party. We will realise this in 2019," the resolution said.
