CJI declines Opposition leaders' request for meet over SIR, CEC

Intensifying their agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the opposition parties would march to the Supreme Court on Monday, with Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge seeking a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant to raise the issue of “vote chori”. The Chief Justice, however, declined to meet Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over “vote chori” allegations, saying similar matters are sub judice in the Supreme Court, sources said.Both Gandhi and Kharge had written to CJI Surya Kant, seeking a meeting between 4 and 5 pm on Monday to hand over a memorandum, demanding an end to “vote chori”, CE Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, halting of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and switching back to the paper ballot format.
The court has no authority to meet a delegation of any political party at the administrative level in this way, and its power is in fact to hear the petition and give a verdict, the CJI is learnt to have said. He also said the doors of the Supreme Court, as the top judicial body, are "open 24 hours a day for all", and it is "committed to protecting the fundamental rights of every citizen".
The BJP had already questioned the INDIA bloc's plan to meet the CJI and submit a memorandum. BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday that CJIs do not meet political delegations as per convention. Asking the Opposition to fight cases through legal channels, he said governments are decided by elections and not by cases filed by "rejected" leaders.