When there are glitches in virtual hearing, how can we order electronic voting for elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, citing connectivity issues while hearing a plea via video conferencing on Tuesday, asked how could they tell the common man to vote electronically.

A PIL was filed in the top court by advocate Galib Kabir seeking direction to effectuate online voting by citizens.

After appearing on screen in the virtual hearing, Kabir began making his submissions, but the bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde pointed out that it seems due to technical glitches, he has been muted.

"Look at your problems in arguing before us in video conferencing. How can we ask a common man to vote electronically?" the Chief Justice told the lawyer.

Though the apex court declined to entertain the PIL, it, however, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to consider the plea as a representation. The bench also asked the petitioner to file a representation before the government.

Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled in October-November, though no formal announcement has been made so far.

Earlier this month, a plea was moved in the Supreme Court by the Rashtravadi Janata Party (RJP) to postpone the Bihar elections to March 2021, against the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the flood situation in the state also worsening.

"It will be better for the safety of the people of India to hold the said election sometime in the month of March 2021 when the situation in the state is somewhat normalised so that the citizen can participate and cast their votes safely and without there being any threat either of the pandemic or the flood," it had said.