New Delhi, Oct. 15: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant has said that no one can intimidate the judiciary. His remarks came during a Supreme Court hearing on petitions linked to the October 12 protest march by Opposition leaders.
The march, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, challenged the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Opposition leaders alleged irregularities in the voter list revision process and sought judicial intervention.
During Thursday’s hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and advocate Gaurav Bhatia raised concerns about the protest near the Supreme Court premises. Justice Surya Kant responded that the judiciary could not be pressured by such actions.
The Chief Justice also said the court was aware of public statements and developments outside the courtroom. He emphasised that judges were not isolated from events in society.
CJI Surya Kant | Supreme Court Issues Notices Over Opposition March
The Supreme Court issued notices to Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress and other leaders in connection with a petition challenging the march and seeking rules to regulate political demonstrations near court premises.
The petition also sought preservation of CCTV footage and other security records relating to the October 12 events. The court directed the relevant authorities to preserve the footage while the matter proceeds.
The bench did not immediately initiate contempt proceedings. Instead, it issued notices and sought responses from the parties concerned. The allegations about attempts to pressure the judiciary remain subject to the ongoing proceedings.
Separately, the Supreme Court heard petitions filed by Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders challenging aspects of the Election Commission’s SIR process.
The petitioners sought records related to the revision exercise, an examination of the decisions taken by the poll panel and independent scrutiny of their objections. The court issued notice to the Election Commission and sought its response.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court Issues Notices In SIR And Protest Cases
The October 12 march followed Opposition demands for action over alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the SIR process. The Election Commission’s decisions and the legal challenges remain under consideration by the Supreme Court.
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