Voting oxygen for democracy: V-P Dhankhar after casting vote

New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday described voting as the oxygen for democracy and said exercising of franchise was the biggest right given to the people.

Dhankhar and his spouse Sudesh cast their votes here for elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Later, he told reporters that voting was the oxygen of democracy.

“The basis of democracy is voting, and voting is the mother of all rights. There is no right above this,” he said.

Democracy holds meaning only when every person casts their vote judiciously and freely, he added.

“India is an example for the world. (It is) the oldest democracy, the largest democracy, the strongest democracy, the most vibrant democracy, where change in power or stability in governance is evident only through voting,” Dhankhar said.

The vice-president reminded that when the country became independent, every adult person, male or female, was given the right vote, whereas this was not the case in many big democratic systems of the world that got independence before India.

He also lauded the arrangements made by the Election Commission for smooth conduct of the democratic exercise.

“The technology that we have adopted, the speed with which the result of your voting is declared publicly, the world is appreciating it,” he said.