Surya Kant's Letter To Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Reveals Why CJI Denied Meeting Request With Opposition Leaders: What We Know

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Ahead of the INDIA alliance's planned march to the Supreme Court on Monday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant responded to a letter from the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, advising him to invoke the Court's judicial powers under Article 32 rather than submit a memorandum.

The opposition's planned "Chalo Dilli – March for Democracy" comes at a time when there are growing concerns over alleged vote theft, irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, and the conduct of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1Why did CJI Surya Kant decline to meet Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders?⌵

The CJI declined the meeting but did not publicly disclose the specific reason, citing the confidentiality of his letter. The reports also said similar matters were sub judice in the Supreme Court.

2What did CJI Surya Kant advise Rahul Gandhi to do instead of submitting a memorandum?⌵

He advised Gandhi to invoke the Supreme Court's judicial powers under Article 32 and file a petition rather than submit a memorandum.

3Why did INDIA bloc leaders want to meet the Chief Justice?⌵

They sought to raise allegations of 'vote theft' and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and to present their demands to the CJI.

4What demands did the opposition plan to raise in its Supreme Court petition?⌵

The reported demands included ending alleged vote theft, halting the SIR exercise and seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The leaders also sought a return to paper ballots.

5How did the INDIA bloc plan to take its concerns to the Supreme Court?⌵

The alliance planned a march to the Supreme Court and said it would file a petition against alleged vote theft and irregularities in the SIR exercise.

What did CJI Surya Kant tell Rahul Gandhi and Kharge?

According to Bar and Bench, which shared a copy of the letter on social media, CJI Surya Kant told Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge that a "meeting to discuss pending cases would violate the principle of separation of powers and be incompatible with judicial ethics and propriety," and noted that the apex court does not have any "administrative powers to deal with the issues raised in their letter."

Responding to the letter written by Gandhi and Kharge, CJI Surya Kant noted that the issues raised were similar to those listed for a hearing before the court on 13 October. He also advised the opposition leaders to invoke the Court's judicial powers under Article 32 instead of submitting a memorandum. Further, the leaders were informed that they could file petitions physically on Monday between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm or through e-filing at any time.

The development comes at a time when the INDIA bloc announced its planned march to the Supreme Court to file a petition, seeking an end to 'vote theft', a halt to the SIR exercise, and removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Earlier today, CJI Surya Kant, while addressing the reporters, said,“I received a letter yesterday regarding a meeting request, and I responded to it last night, outlining the reasons why I will be unable to meet...”

The CJI added, "The Supreme Court's doors are open to everyone. Any petition from any common citizen or member of an elected body is welcome. Every Indian citizen has the right to approach the court, and we will hear their concerns and grant whatever is due under the law."

This story will be updated with additional details.

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