NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant has rejected the INDIA bloc leaders' request for a meeting to submit a representation over alleged electoral irregularities, stating that they should approach the court by filing a petition as the matter is already sub judice.
A reasoned response explaining the grounds for the rejection has been sent to the opposition leaders via email, people aware of the development said.
According to sources, the response emphasised that the issues raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and the delegation would be more appropriately addressed through judicial proceedings rather than by submitting a memorandum through the administrative route.
The development comes after INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, announced plans to march to the Supreme Court on Monday and submit a memorandum to the CJI over allegations of "vote chori", the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The opposition alliance had earlier staged protests in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, raising similar concerns over the electoral process.
Meanwhile, a day after a heavy police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders on Sunday called for citizens to join a march to the Supreme Court on October 12 (tomorrow) and criticised the police detentions.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called for a march to the Supreme Court on Monday, while CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke, released from preventive arrest, claimed he had signed no bond not to protest and would "return to the streets", daring authorities to jail him "not just once, but a hundred times."
The BJP dismissed the protests as Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the opposition "occasionally makes its presence felt, much like a cockroach crawling across one's back." Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused Congress, AAP, Left parties and the CJP of creating chaos during protests in the capital. She also praised Delhi Police for handling the situation and ensuring public safety. (ANI)
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