Christian body's urgent hearing plea to reschedule polls dates denied by SC

The Supreme Court Thursday refused to accord an urgent hearing to a petition which sought rescheduling of the Lok Sabha polling date of April 18 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. A Christian body moved the apex court seeking urgent listing of its plea in which it said the scheduled date of polling for Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry falls within the holy period of Good Friday and Easter.

The petitioner's counsel told the court that the date of polling in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry be rescheduled. "You can't cast your vote on a holy day?" a bench headed by Justice S A Bobde asked the petitioner's counsel.

"How long does it take to vote?" the bench said, adding, "We don't want to advise you how to pray and how to cast vote". The petitioner's counsel told the court that the Madras High Court had dismissed their plea on March 22 and they have moved the apex court against it.

The bench, however, said there was no urgency in hearing the matter.

(With inputs from agencies.)