The hearing in the case pertaining to voting rights of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) was heard today by the Supreme Court..A Bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud allowed the Centre one more week to inform it whether it wants to amend Sections 20 and 20A of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950, or only the Rules framed thereunder..Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi appeared for the petitioners in the case while Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni appeared for the central government. Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora appeared for the Election Commission of India..Rohatgi submitted today that the Act need not be amended and only the Rules require amendment..Meenakshi Arora, however, disagreed. She stated that the relevant provisions in the Act have to be amended..Nadkarni, appearing for Centre, sought time to decide on the course of action to be taken..He sought two weeks but the Bench disagreed. CJI Khehar remarked,.“Tell us on the coming Friday. We know you need only 10 minutes to decide this.”.The matter is now listed for next Friday, when the Centre will have to inform the Court whether it wants to amend the Act or the Rules..Back in 2015, the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that it had accepted the Election Commission’s recommendation to allow NRIs to vote through e-ballot system or through proxy.
The hearing in the case pertaining to voting rights of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) was heard today by the Supreme Court..A Bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud allowed the Centre one more week to inform it whether it wants to amend Sections 20 and 20A of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950, or only the Rules framed thereunder..Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi appeared for the petitioners in the case while Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni appeared for the central government. Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora appeared for the Election Commission of India..Rohatgi submitted today that the Act need not be amended and only the Rules require amendment..Meenakshi Arora, however, disagreed. She stated that the relevant provisions in the Act have to be amended..Nadkarni, appearing for Centre, sought time to decide on the course of action to be taken..He sought two weeks but the Bench disagreed. CJI Khehar remarked,.“Tell us on the coming Friday. We know you need only 10 minutes to decide this.”.The matter is now listed for next Friday, when the Centre will have to inform the Court whether it wants to amend the Act or the Rules..Back in 2015, the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that it had accepted the Election Commission’s recommendation to allow NRIs to vote through e-ballot system or through proxy.
