Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday said the Supreme Court’s doors are open to every citizen and that grievances are heard in accordance with the law, explaining his decision to decline a meeting request from leaders of the Congress-led INDIA bloc.
Speaking to reporters, the CJI said he had received the Opposition leaders’ letter on Sunday and responded to it the same night, citing reasons for his inability to meet the delegation.
“I have given certain reasons in my reply and expressed my inability to meet them. I would request you to ask them about the contents of the letter. I have maintained its confidentiality,” he said.
Emphasising that every citizen has the right to approach the country’s highest court, Surya Kant said people could seek legal remedies regardless of whether they were ordinary citizens or members of elected bodies.
“The doors of the Supreme Court are open to everyone. Anyone can file a petition, whether they are an ordinary citizen or a member of an elected body. Every citizen of India has the right to approach us,” he said.
He added that the court would examine grievances in accordance with the law and ensure that those entitled to relief received it.
Earlier, the CJI declined the INDIA bloc’s request for a meeting ahead of the Opposition’s proposed march to the Supreme Court on Monday. According to reports, the issues the delegation wanted to raise were already before the court and were being heard.
The reported response also underlined that political delegations could not seek to raise such matters through an administrative-level meeting, with the appropriate course being to approach the court through a petition.
The proposed march is part of the Opposition’s campaign against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the issue.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has maintained that the march is “not of a political party, but of all Indians”. He has alleged that the government benefited from the SIR exercise, a charge that has intensified the political confrontation with the Election Commission.
The INDIA bloc had also submitted a charter of demands to President Droupadi Murmu last Friday, setting out four key demands related to electoral reforms and alleged vote manipulation.
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