Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday quipped at the Supreme Court over its remarks on the recent protests in Delhi, wherein Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the law and order situation was “not his domain.”
The CJP founder further questioned the top court, claiming “inaction” against the Election Commission of India. Dipke said he would “not like to comment” on Congress's Kerala unit's post against the Chief Justice of India.
Dipke claimed that the top court had, during the SIR in West Bengal, said “it was fine if people could not vote now; they could vote later.” The CJP founder thereafter questioned whether the SC would “tell Narendra Modi the same thing.”
The row over the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise escalated after an Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders of the poll body, some of which they reportedly said were issued without their knowledge.
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However, the poll body has maintained that the three-member poll panel took all decisions, including those related to the SIR, unanimously. Protests against the SIR and Gyanesh Kumar ensued, with student organisations and opposition parties seeking the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation.
What did Dipke say?
Dipke highlighted the CJI's remarks that law and order were not the “domain” of the Supreme Court. “I would not like to comment on that right now because both the CJI and the Supreme Court have recently said that law and order is not the responsibility of the court. What action have they taken against the Election Commission? They have taken no action at all,” PTI news agency cited Dipke as saying.
The CJP founder further added, “We saw what happened in Bengal after votes were deleted. What did they say? They said it was fine if people could not vote now; they could vote later. Will the Supreme Court tell Narendra Modi the same thing, that he should not contest the election this time and can contest the next time?”
Dipke asked that if the Supreme Court could not say the same thing to PM Modi, “on what basis are they telling the voters this?” The CJP founder also extended his “best wishes” to the INDIA bloc for Monday's protest march to the SC, following which the Opposition completed legal formalities for a petition against the ECI.
“It is necessary for the entire country to unite and hold such protests, especially the INDIA bloc, as it is in the Opposition. Such protests will continue across the country until Gyanesh Kumar resigns,” Dipke said, according to PTI.
What did the CJI say on law and order? INC Kerala's now-deleted response
When asked about the situation in Delhi in view of the protests and the restrictions imposed, CJI Surya Kant, according to news agency PTI, said, “Ye law and order ka mudda hai. Ye mera vishay nahin hai. (This is a matter of law and order; it doesn't pertain to my domain)”
However, the CJI had asserted hat the “doors of the Supreme Court are open for everybody”, whether it be civilians or lawmakers. Following the remark, Indian National Congress's Kerala unit, in a post on X which addressed the CJI as “Dear Surya Kant”, said, ““If law and order is not your domain, resign now. We will find your replacement who can handle it.” To be sure, this post was subsequently deleted.