Can't go into policy matters: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court today categorically stated that it would not interfere with policy matters and the law-making powers of the government. "These are policy matters. We can’t go into them," said an apex court bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, while declining to entertain a petition seeking directions to the central government to grant voting rights to non-resident Indians (NRIs).

The Supreme Court today categorically stated that it would not interfere with policy matters and the law-making powers of the government.

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"These are policy matters. We can’t go into them," said an apex court bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, while declining to entertain a petition seeking directions to the central government to grant voting rights to non-resident Indians (NRIs).

"Let it be clear, this court will not interfere with policy matters," the court said.

"Can we ask the government to give dual citizenship to NRIs?" the court wondered.

Petitioner Ahammmed Adiyottil’s counsel said that there were a large number of Indians who stay overseas on account of their business requirements and they should be granted voting rights.

When counsel told the court that the central government was planning to bring in legislation to grant voting rights to NRIs, Justice Kapadia asked, "How can you expect the court to pass an order in anticipation of a law?"

The court advised the petitioner not to invite trouble for himself.

Earlier, when the petitioner persisted with his plea, the court asked him to prove his credentials as an NRI by producing his income tax returns and Reserve Bank of India’s sanction by which he was acquiring properties within the country.