Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has declined a request to meet Leaders of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of the INDIA bloc’s planned march to the Supreme Court on Monday, sources told India Today.
Gandhi and Kharge, the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, had sought a meeting between 4 pm and 5 pm on October 12 to submit a memorandum.
Their demands include an end to alleged “vote chori”, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots.
The Chief Justice’s response was emailed to both leaders, the sources said. The issues they wanted to raise were already pending before the Supreme Court, making such a meeting inappropriate.
The sources added that the court could not intervene in the government’s functioning through its administrative role. The leaders were told they could seek protection of their fundamental rights through the judicial process.
WHY THE OPPOSITION IS PROTESTING
The agitation centres on allegations of wrongful voter deletions and manipulation of electoral rolls during SIR. Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and demanded accountability from Kumar.
The row intensified after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months, largely concerning SIR-related decisions.
The Commission maintains that differing views are a normal part of deliberations and that its orders have legal backing and follow statutory procedures.
OPPOSITION PLANS ‘MARCH FOR DEMOCRACY’
Congress has called Monday’s protest "Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy" and asked participants to gather at the Connaught Place–Barakhamba Road junction at 1.30 pm.
Gandhi said young people, Opposition parties and civil society groups would march to the Supreme Court. He accused police and BJP supporters of assaulting peaceful protesters in Delhi on Saturday.
Kharge said the leaders wanted to seek the CJI’s intervention. He accused Modi and Shah of creating unrest, saying Saturday’s police deployment and detentions reflected the government’s fear of the agitation.
DELEGATION MET PRESIDENT ON FRIDAY
On Friday, police stopped Opposition MPs at Vijay Chowk. Several staged a sit-in while a 10-member delegation proceeded to Rashtrapati Bhavan to seek President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention to remove Kumar.
After the meeting, Opposition leaders said Murmu had sought evidence of the alleged electoral irregularities and agreed to examine their concerns.
Gandhi said he was “shocked” that the President had not denied or questioned the allegations. He claimed evidence of alleged vote theft was known across the country and said the Opposition would submit it to her.
- Ends