In defence of secularism

Supreme Court limits the scope of identity politics

On Monday, the Supreme Court delivered a judgment with deep and wide implications for Indian democracy. Asked to rule on Section 123 of the Representation of the Peoples’ Act, 1951 (RPA), the apex court underlined the secular, non-sectarian and impartial character of the republic by firmly stating that electoral appeals to caste, creed, language or other divisive factors as the basis for voting could lead to disqualification. A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court passed this judgment by a single vote, as it happens, with Chief Justice T S Thakur tilting the scales in favour of the decision.

The judgment was