Mumbai:

As the voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway, veteran Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal exercised his democratic duty by casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai on Monday morning.

After casting his vote, Mr Rawal interacted with the media, emphasizing the importance of participating in elections.

#WATCH | Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal says, “…There should be some provisions for those who don’t vote, like an increase in tax or some other punishment.” pic.twitter.com/sueN0F2vMD

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024

“You will say, government doesn’t do this, doesn’t do that… If you don’t vote today, then you will be responsible, not the government,” he stated, urging citizens to take responsibility for their civic duties.

He also suggested implementing penalties for those who abstain from voting. “There should be some provisions for those who don’t vote, like an increase in tax or some other punishment,” he added.

Elections to six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai are underway for Phase 5 of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The constituencies voting today include Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central.

Several Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Rajkumar Rao, and Janhvi Kapoor, cast their votes at their respective polling booths in Mumbai earlier in the day.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)