New Delhi, Oct. 11 -- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has not agreed to meet Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who had sought an appointment on Monday to raise allegations of "vote chori", sources said on Sunday night. The two leaders had requested a meeting between 4 pm and 5 pm to submit a memorandum seeking an end to alleged electoral irregularities, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots.
In response to Rahul Gandhi's request for a meeting, CJI Surya Kant said that no orders can be passed on the administrative side, and asked the Congress leader to file a petition on the judicial side that may be taken up on Tuesday, the sources said.
The CJI said the Supreme Court is open 24x7 for all citizens if their fundamental rights are violated, they added.
He also said the Supreme Court cannot interfere with the functions of the executive on the administrative side, the sources said.
A source said the CJI's response to their letters had been sent to their official email addresses but did not elaborate. Opposition parties had earlier announced a march to the Supreme Court on Monday under the Congress campaign slogan "Chalo Delhi: March for Democracy". However, there was no immediate official reaction from the Opposition after the CJI declined the meeting, leaving the status of the planned march unclear.
The Congress had said INDIA bloc leaders, MPs, workers, young people and civil society groups would assemble at the Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction at 1.30 pm before marching towards the Supreme Court. It was not immediately clear whether the programme would proceed as announced following the CJI's response.
In a post on X on Sunday, Gandhi had appealed to citizens across political and social divides to join the proposed march, describing it as a collective effort to defend democracy and the Constitution.
"Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us," he said.
Gandhi also criticised the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, alleging that young demonstrators had been beaten by police personnel and BJP workers despite gathering peacefully.
"Yesterday, the nation's young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want," he wrote.
Kharge, speaking in Bengaluru earlier on Sunday, confirmed that he and Gandhi had written separately to the CJI seeking an opportunity to present their concerns and request his intervention.
"We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him," Kharge said.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating political turmoil and described the situation as an "undeclared emergency". Kharge also alleged that the heavy security deployment and detentions during Saturday's protests reflected the government's apprehension about the youth-led agitation.
The latest developments follow a series of Opposition demonstrations against Kumar and alleged electoral irregularities. On Friday, INDIA bloc leaders marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk and later submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the CEC's resignation and raising concerns over the electoral process.The Opposition has also questioned the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls, particularly the SIR exercise, and called for a return to paper ballots. Whether the planned march to the Supreme Court will go ahead remains unclear following the CJI's decision not to agree to the requested meeting.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.