The Supreme Court of India on Monday said that seeking votes on the basis of caste, community, religion or language is illegal.

A constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice T.S. Thakur by a 4:3 majority passed the order on the basis of Section 123 (3) of the Representation of People’s Act.

The dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit.

‘The relationship between man and god is an individual choice. The state is forbidden to have allegiance to such an activity,’ the bench said.