In a 4:3 verdict in the controversial Hindutva case, the Supreme Court said election in the country is a secular exercise and thereby its way and processes should be followed. (Reuters)

The Supreme Court of India today uphold the secular ethos of the Indian Constitution by saying that politicians can’t use religion, caste, creed or language for seeking votes, according to reports.

In a 4:3 verdict in the controversial Hindutva case, the apex court said election in the country is a secular exercise and thereby its way and processes should be followed, ANI reported. The top court said no politician can seek votes in the name of caste, creed, or religion.

The court also said that the relationship between man and God is an individual choice and the state is forbidden to interfere in such an activities. A seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court passed the judgement in the Hindutva case after hearing in detail arguments from various petitioners.

The majority view of the Supreme Court upheld that elections will be void if a politician makes an appeal for vote on the basis of his religion or his voters and agents.

The seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur passed this order while revisiting its two-decade-old ‘Hindutva’ judgement for an authoritative pronouncement on electoral law categorising misuse of religion for electoral gains as “corrupt practice”.

The bench had also ignored the request of some parties to involve Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi for his assistance.

Religion can’t affect the purity of the electoral process. Appeal by anyone in names of religion, race, caste, language and community will hold the poll bad, the top court ruled.

Apart from CHI Thakur, the bench comprised justices Madan B Lokur, S A Bobde, A K Goel, U U Lalit, D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao.

(With agency inputs)