NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has not agreed to meet Leaders of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday over allegations of “vote theft”, sources said on Sunday night, even as the I.N.D.I.A. bloc prepared to march to the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Gandhi and Kharge, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, had separately written to the CJI seeking an appointment between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding an end to alleged electoral manipulation, suspension of the SIR exercise, Kumar’s resignation and a return to paper ballots.
“Response of Hon’ble CJI to the letter received from Leaders of Opposition has been sent in their official mail,” a source said. Sources maintained that the CJI had not agreed to the meeting but did not elaborate on the reasons.
The Congress, however, is going ahead with its “Chalo Delhi — March for Democracy” protest, with Opposition leaders scheduled to assemble at the Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction at 1.30 pm before marching towards the Supreme Court.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and other Opposition leaders are expected to participate in the march.
In a post on X, Gandhi condemned Saturday’s police crackdown on young protesters in Delhi, alleging that they were assaulted by police personnel and BJP supporters despite demonstrating peacefully.
“Yesterday, the nation’s young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want,” he said.
Calling upon young people, Opposition parties and civil society organisations to join the march, Mr Gandhi said, “Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state.”
Speaking in Bengaluru earlier on Sunday, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of creating chaos across the country through heavy police deployment, restrictions and mass detentions during the protests.
Alleging that an undeclared Emergency had been imposed, Kharge said he and Gandhi had sought the CJI’s intervention.
“We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him,” he said.
“With folded hands we will apprise him of the situation. Chaos is being created in the country by the home minister and the prime minister, and everywhere an undeclared emergency is imposed,” Kharge added.
The proposed march follows two days of protests in Delhi against the SIR exercise and the Chief Election Commissioner. On Friday, I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk and later submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu.
The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the Opposition’s allegations of electoral manipulation.
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