Denying voting rights amounts to creating second-class citizens: SC judge

Justice Ujjwal Bhuiya of the Supreme Court has delivered a strong statement on the fundamental importance of voting rights in India's constitutional framework. The judge emphasized that the right to vote and citizenship are intrinsically connected and cannot be separated from one another.

According to Justice Bhuiya, denying any Indian citizen their voting rights would amount to reducing them to the status of second-class citizens. Such deprivation, the judge noted, would constitute a violation of multiple provisions of the Indian Constitution, specifically Articles 326 and 14.

Article 326 of the Constitution guarantees universal adult suffrage and establishes the principle of one person, one vote in elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Article 14 ensures the right to equality before law and equal protection of the laws to all persons within Indian territory.

The judge's remarks underscore the judiciary's commitment to safeguarding voting rights as a cornerstone of democratic participation and constitutional protections for all Indian citizens.