Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has turned down a request from leaders of the INDIA bloc to hold a meeting regarding allegations of “vote chori,” or electoral irregularities. In an email response to the opposition delegation, the CJI explained that a meeting would be inappropriate as the specific issues raised by the political parties are currently sub judice before the Supreme Court.
The request for an appointment had been initiated by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge. The duo had sought a meeting with the CJI to submit a formal memorandum demanding action against alleged electoral irregularities. Mr. Gandhi had previously announced plans for opposition parties, civil society groups, and citizens to march to the Supreme Court to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and a return to paper ballots.
This move to approach the judiciary followed a meeting earlier in the week between the opposition leaders and President Droupadi Murmu. During that interaction, the INDIA bloc submitted a memorandum outlining four primary demands, including the cancellation of assembly elections held over the past two years and the restoration of 13.30 crore voters who were allegedly removed from electoral rolls. Following the meeting, Mr. Kharge expressed surprise that the President requested evidence for the claims.
The opposition's initiative has drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Mr. Gandhi of misrepresenting the interaction with the President and attempting to drag the office of the President into a political confrontation. Additionally, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad criticized the opposition's approach, stating that the country should be governed by Parliament rather than through street protests. Mr. Prasad argued that the opposition has resorted to weaponizing public protests in the wake of their recent electoral defeats.
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