The Congress-led INDIA bloc plans to march to the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, October 12, even as CJI Surya Kant declined its request for a meeting. The CJI advised the Opposition leaders to approach the court through a petition. INDIA Bloc’s to hold SC March is to press its demands for electoral reforms and action over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Â
Key Takeaways
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CJI declines meeting: Surya Kant advises INDIA bloc leaders to file a petition on issues already under judicial consideration.
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Opposition plans Supreme Court march: The INDIA bloc is pressing for electoral reforms, the suspension of SIR and the restoration of 13.3 crore allegedly deleted voters.
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Congress targets 2023 law: Mallikarjun Kharge alleges that the legislation granting legal immunity to election commissioners protects them from legal action.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has refused to meet a delegation of INDIA bloc leaders ahead of their planned march to the Supreme Court. He reportedly told them that the issues they intend to raise are already before the court. The CJI advised the Opposition to seek judicial intervention through a formal petition rather than an administrative-level meeting.
The INDIA bloc’s proposed demonstration comes amid growing tensions between Opposition parties and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise. The Opposition has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the restoration of voters allegedly removed from electoral rolls. It has also challenged the legal immunity granted to election commissioners under a 2023 law.
CJI Says Opposition Should Approach Court Through Petition
According to sources, CJI Surya Kant informed the Opposition leaders that the matters they wanted to discuss were already sub judice. The Supreme Court is currently hearing issues related to their concerns.
The CJI reportedly explained that the judiciary could not hold an administrative-level meeting with a delegation representing a political party. He stressed that the court’s primary responsibility is to hear petitions and deliver judgments.
He also reiterated that the Supreme Court remains accessible to citizens seeking justice. Describing the institution as the country’s highest judicial body, he said its doors are “open 24 hours a day for all”.
The CJI also reaffirmed the court’s commitment to protecting the fundamental rights of every citizen.
Despite the refusal, the INDIA bloc is likely to proceed with its planned march on Monday. The demonstration forms part of a wider campaign against alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and other concerns surrounding the election process.
Rahul Gandhi Seeks Broader Support for INDIA Bloc SC March
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has sought to present the planned demonstration as a campaign extending beyond party politics.
He has maintained that the march is “not of a political party, but of all Indians”. The Congress leader aims to widen public participation and build pressure on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the government benefited from the SIR exercise. The revision process has become a major point of disagreement between the Opposition and the Election Commission.
The INDIA bloc argues that electoral reforms and safeguards against alleged vote manipulation require urgent attention. Its proposed march seeks to bring these concerns into sharper public focus.
However, the CJI’s response indicates that the Opposition must pursue judicial remedies through the established legal process rather than seek an administrative meeting with the court’s leadership.
INDIA Bloc Submits Four Demands to President Murmu
Last Friday, the INDIA bloc submitted a charter of demands to President Droupadi Murmu. The memorandum outlined four key demands concerning electoral reforms and alleged manipulation of votes.
The Opposition has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It has also demanded the repeal of the 2023 law that provides legal immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
Another major demand concerns the immediate suspension of the SIR exercise. The bloc has also sought the restoration of all 13.3 crore voters it alleges were deleted from electoral rolls.
These demands have placed the revision exercise and the legal framework governing election commissioners at the centre of the political confrontation.
The Opposition maintains that the alleged deletions and the existing legal protections require urgent scrutiny. The government and the Election Commission have become central targets of its campaign.
Kharge Questions Legal Immunity Under 2023 Law
Earlier on Sunday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the legal protection granted to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commission members under the 2023 legislation.
Kharge alleged that the government introduced the law to shield election officials from legal action. He questioned why the legislation extended such protection to election commissioners.
“To create such an atmosphere, PM Modi brought the 2023 Act to protect the Chief Election Commissioner and members. That immunity he gave,” Kharge said.
He further argued that even the President of India and the Chief Justice do not enjoy comparable immunity.
“That immunity is not even for the President of India, not the Chief Justice, but that is given to one Election Commissioner,” he said.
Kharge’s remarks underline the Congress’s opposition to the legal protections provided under the 2023 law. The issue has now become one of the principal demands in the INDIA bloc’s campaign for electoral reforms.
SC March Likely to Intensify Electoral Reform Debate
The INDIA bloc’s planned SC march comes at a time when the SIR exercise, alleged voter deletions and the legal immunity of election commissioners have become major political flashpoints.
The CJI’s refusal to meet the delegation has not ended the Opposition’s campaign. Instead, the bloc is expected to continue pressing its demands through the proposed demonstration.
The immediate focus remains on whether the Opposition will pursue its concerns through formal legal petitions while continuing its political campaign for electoral reforms.
For now, the INDIA bloc has reiterated its demands, while the CJI has directed its leaders towards the judicial process. (Edited by Enewstime Desk )