New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday expressed its displeasure to the government for its delay in filing a response to a petition on whether a person facing criminal charges should be made a minister.

The court asked the central government and the states to spell out their stands and posted the case for further hearing in August.

In March, a bench headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, hearing a petition filed by Manoj Narula had asked the government and the states to file their responses within four weeks.

Since important issues of public importance such as good governance, moral turpitude, purity of system and public perception were involved, the court referred the matter to a five-judge constitution Bench.

The bench comprising Sabharwal and judges C.K. Thakker and P.K. Balasubramnyan Monday found that the central government and most of the states had not filed their responses.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, amicus curiae in the case, had earlier said the issue was important since the induction of a person as a minister with criminal background was not good for democracy.

He had cited instances when ministers had resigned on charges being framed in a criminal case but now even after framing of charges, people were made ministe