Some voters do not realise importance of right to exercise franchise: President Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday lamented that there are some voters who do not understand the importance of the right to exercise their franchise and reminded them that in several democracies people had to struggle to get it. Addressing the National Voters' Day event here to mark the establishment of the Election Commission in 1950, the President said from the first general election to the 17th Lok Sabha polls held last year, the voters have increased the credibility of Indian democracy all over the world.

"For this I congratulate all the voters of the country. But even today some of our voters do not understand the importance of their franchise. They should know that in most of the democratic countries of the world, the common people had to agitate to get the franchise and many sacrifices had to be made," Kovind said.

He pointed out that even in old democracies such as England, women were able to get equal voting rights in the 20th century, after nearly three decades of struggle. The framers of the Indian Constitution gave this invaluable right to all adult Indians without any discrimination, he said.