POLL: Should voting be made compulsory?

On Monday, Gujarat Governor OP Kohli signed the Gujarat Local Authorities Laws Bill, hereby making voting in civic polls a must.

The bill was first introduced when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2009 but then governor Kamala Beniwal refused to approve it saying that it infringed on rights of the citizens and was unconstitutional.

As per the bill, any person who refrains from voting can be punished or penalized, attracting great criticism from opposition parties and legal experts.

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At a time when voter turnout in Mumbai during the Maharashtra polls was around 55 per cent and a dismal 48 per cent during the Lok Sabha polls, is this law a need of the hour?

Should citizens be forced into practicing their one major duty or does the law infringe on the rights of the citizens?

Additionally, with such a law being passed, does it guarantee more participation and voter awareness?

We want to know what you have to say. 

Do you think people should be penalized if they don’t vote?