Can’t Vote, Can Lead

I love the irony in the fact that undertrial prisoners in India are not allowed to vote—but can stand for elections. As Ramesh Srivats, whose Twitter page I got this news from, puts it:

Shows that we don’t trust the judgment of potential criminals but respect their leadership abilities.

I don’t have an issue with criminals standing for elections. Government, the way it works in India, is itself a form of larceny—so it fits. But everyone should get a vote, no?