Prez hails EC for conducting safe polls in Bihar, J&K, Ladakh last year during Covid-19 pandemic

New Delhi: Praising the Election Commission of India for conducting successful and
safe elections in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh last year during the Covid-19 pandemic,
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said it is an extraordinary achievement of the country’s democracy.

Mr Kovind, who virtually graced and addressed the 11th National Voters’ Day celebrations, being organised by the Election Commission of India, said the chief architect of the Indian Constitution Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, considered the right to vote as paramount.

”Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us, especially our youth, who get the right to vote for the first time, to exercise their franchise with the utmost sincerity and inspire others too to do so,” the President said.

On the occasion, the President said on the National Voters’ Day, he would like to remind that ”we should always respect the valuable right to vote. The right to vote is not a simple right; people around the world have struggled a lot for this. Since independence, our Constitution has given equal voting rights to all citizens without any discrimination on the basis of merit, religion, race, caste. For this, we are indebted to the makers of our Constitution”.

During the event, the President conferred the National Awards for the year 2020-21 and also launched the Election Commission of India’s Web Radio: ‘Hello Voters’ ? an online digital radio service.

Dedicated to the voters of the country, the day is utilised to spread awareness among voters and for promoting informed participation in the electoral process.