The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut to explain his remarks about the judiciary and the chief justice, Live Law reported.
Meanwhile, Attorney General R Venkataramani granted consent to the Supreme Court Bar Association to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Raut and journalist Nikhil Wagle for their remarks about the judiciary and the chief justice, the legal news outlet reported.
The court’s order seeking an explanation from Raut came as the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions filed by Opposition leaders challenging the large-scale deletions during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
During the hearing, the court verbally said that it would ask one of the petitioners, an Opposition leader, to explain his conduct. The bench had not elaborated on which petitioner it was referring to.
In its order uploaded later, the bench said that Raut’s petition was being provisionally entertained, subject to him explaining his conduct, Live Law reported.
On Monday, Raut had criticised the chief justice for declining a meeting with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader had sought a meeting with Kant to submit a memorandum raising concerns over alleged irregularities in electoral processes, the functioning of the Election Commission and the large-scale deletions during the voter roll revision.
The Uddhav Sena leader had claimed...