Keep religion separate from polls, says Supreme Court
A seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is hearing the “Hindutvaâ€case.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday made it clear that seeking votes in the name of religion should not be allowed in a secular country like India.
A seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is hearing the “Hindutva” case, in which it was held that Hinduism is a way of life and there is no bar on expressing words like Hindutva or Hinduism or to have a Hindu state will not amount to seeking votes in the name of religion which is prohibited under Section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People Act.
When senior counsel Shyam Divan, appearing for Sunder Lal Patwa, submitted that the judges should accept Justice Verma’s verdict and it was for Parliament to revisit the provision, the CJI shot back and said Parliament has done nothing for the last 20 years.
So, why can’t the court make an appeal for making seeking of votes on the ground religion an electoral offence, the CJI asked.