New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday turned down a request from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for a meeting on Monday, October 12, dealing a setback to the INDIA bloc's plan to hand him a memorandum on the Election Commission row.
The CJI's office confirmed to The Hindu that the request for a meeting had been "declined with reasons" and said a response had been sent to Gandhi's official email.
Why the meeting was declined
Sources told The Hindu the meeting was declined because the issues the Opposition intended to raise were already sub judice before the Supreme Court. In addition, the court cannot intervene in matters of governance and the functioning of the state on its administrative side.
According to Congress sources, the CJI also cited the separation of powers as a reason for not meeting political parties on such matters.
What the CJI said the Opposition can do
While declining the meeting, the top judge's response conveyed that questions on fundamental rights could be raised with the court on its judicial side, sources said.
The court has already listed petitions connected to the anti-Chief Election Commissioner campaign and the October 10 clampdown in Delhi for October 12, meaning the legal questions will be argued in open court rather than through a delegation.
Backdrop
The INDIA bloc has planned a protest march in Delhi on Monday against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and had intended to submit a memorandum to the CJI during the agitation. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee decided to extend her stay in Delhi to join the march, after she was detained during Saturday's crackdown.
Sources clarified that the CJI expressed no view on the Opposition's proposed march to the Supreme Court.
Sources:
The Hindu, The Hindu
The CJI's office confirmed to The Hindu that the request for a meeting had been "declined with reasons" and said a response had been sent to Gandhi's official email.
Why the meeting was declined
Sources told The Hindu the meeting was declined because the issues the Opposition intended to raise were already sub judice before the Supreme Court. In addition, the court cannot intervene in matters of governance and the functioning of the state on its administrative side.
According to Congress sources, the CJI also cited the separation of powers as a reason for not meeting political parties on such matters.
What the CJI said the Opposition can do
While declining the meeting, the top judge's response conveyed that questions on fundamental rights could be raised with the court on its judicial side, sources said.
The court has already listed petitions connected to the anti-Chief Election Commissioner campaign and the October 10 clampdown in Delhi for October 12, meaning the legal questions will be argued in open court rather than through a delegation.
Backdrop
The INDIA bloc has planned a protest march in Delhi on Monday against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and had intended to submit a memorandum to the CJI during the agitation. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee decided to extend her stay in Delhi to join the march, after she was detained during Saturday's crackdown.
Sources clarified that the CJI expressed no view on the Opposition's proposed march to the Supreme Court.
Sources:
The Hindu, The Hindu
