The Congress welcomes the amendment to the Representation of the People Act seeking to give voting rights to Non-Resident Indians, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has said.
Talking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, Mr. Chandy said the United Progress Alliance deserved praise for recognising the rights of the expatriate population. It was the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government which had initiated the process by submitting a draft Bill for the Union government's consideration, he said.
The move received the support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The role of Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi is acknowledged. Defence Minister A.K. Antony headed the sub-committee that prepared the draft legislation and Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily piloted the Bill, he said.
The voting rights would enable non-resident Indians to decide the fortunes of the country, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesman M.M. Hassan said. It is a landmark legislation, he said.
KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, in a press release here, thanked the UPA government for passing the legislation. He called upon all non-resident Indians to utilise their voting rights. The voting right is the realisation of a dream. It addresses the aspirations of millions of non-resident Indians to be part of the electoral process, he said.
