Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday said the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the restrictions imposed in Delhi were matters of law and order, which did not fall within his domain, while asserting that the doors of the Supreme Court remained open to every citizen to seek legal redress.
“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),” the CJI told reporters on the sidelines of an event marking the 33rd anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
His remarks came hours before Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, led hundreds of supporters and activists in a ‘March for Democracy’ towards the Supreme Court to protest alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Asked how Opposition leaders could raise their grievances after he declined a meeting with Gandhi and Kharge, the CJI said anyone could approach the court through the established legal process.
“Doors of the Supreme Court are open for everybody. Any petition… anyone who desires, whether a common man or a member of any elected body, every citizen of India has a right to reach us. We will hear issues in consonance with the law, and whatever rights people deserve, we will grant them,” he said.
The CJI declined to comment on the Opposition's march, saying, “I will not make any comments on it.”
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had written to the CJI on October 10, seeking a meeting between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding an end to alleged ‘vote chori’, Kumar's resignation, a halt to the SIR exercise and a return to paper ballots.
The CJI declined the request, citing the impropriety of discussing matters that were pending before the court. In his reply, which the Congress made public on Monday, he advised the leaders to approach the Supreme Court by filing a petition, either physically or online.
“Therefore, convening a meeting to discuss pending cases would wholly contravene the principle of Separation of Powers, an intrinsic facet of the basic structure doctrine of the Constitution of India, and would be incompatible with the established ethics and judicial propriety,” Justice Kant wrote.
Speaking to reporters, the CJI confirmed that he had received the letter and sent a reply, but declined to disclose its contents, saying he had maintained its confidentiality.
Delhi witnessed heightened security over the weekend amid protests against the CEC, with restrictions on movement, the closure of 45 metro stations and intensive checks at the city's border points. Thousands of protesters, including leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and former chief ministers, were detained.
(With inputs from PTI)