New Delhi, April 16 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions to introduce mandatory voting in India.
The petitioner proposed that persons who refused to vote must be denied government amenities, along with penal consequences.
The court observed that participation in elections cannot be enforced through coercive measures.
The petitioner's counsel suggested that the court could direct the Election Commission of India to constitute a committee to frame guidelines for compulsory voting and consider restrictions on access to certain government amenities for those who fail to vote without valid reasons.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi obs...