CJI Surya Kant declines INDIA bloc leaders’ request for meeting ahead of march to SC, asks them to file petition

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on Sunday declined the request of INDIA bloc leaders for a meeting to submit a representation over alleged electoral irregularities ahead of their planned march to the Supreme Court on Monday, stating that they should instead approach the court by filing a petition, as the matter is already sub judice.

The CJI’s email response also detailed the grounds for the rejection of the request.

The CJI said the meeting would be inappropriate, as the issues raised by the opposition were already sub judice before the Supreme Court, reported LiveLaw, citing sources.

The response emphasised that the issues raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the delegation would be more appropriately addressed through judicial proceedings rather than by submitting a memorandum through the administrative route, the sources added.

They added that the court could not intervene in the government’s functioning through its administrative role. The leaders were told they could seek protection of their fundamental rights through the judicial process.

Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge sought an appointment with the CJI between 4pm and 5pm on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding action over alleged electoral irregularities.

Rahul had announced that opposition parties, civil society groups, and young people would march to the Supreme Court, seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and a return to paper ballots.

Opposition plans ‘March for Democracy’

Congress described Monday’s protest as “Chalo Delhi—March for Democracy” and asked participants to gather at the Connaught Place–Barakhamba Road junction at 1.30 pm.

In a video post on X, Gandhi said youths, opposition parties, and civil society groups would join the march.

“Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community, and state,” he said.

Kharge and Gandhi had announced plans to march to the Supreme Court on Monday and submit a memorandum to the CJI over allegations of “vote chori”, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday

The move to approach the CJI followed a meeting between INDIA bloc leaders and President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, during which the opposition submitted a memorandum outlining four demands.

These included the CEC’s resignation, scrapping of assembly elections held over the past two years, suspension of the SIR exercise, and restoration of paper ballots.

The memorandum also sought the restoration of 13.30 crore voters allegedly deleted from electoral rolls.

After the meeting, the Lok Sabha LoP said he was surprised that Murmu had not denied the opposition’s allegations of “vote chori” and had instead asked them to provide evidence.

“I was shocked that the president did not deny Vote Chori. Instead, she asked us to bring her proof. We will bring her a mountain of it,” he wrote on X.

BJP accuses Rahul of dragging president into political row

The BJP attacked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks and accused him of dragging the president into a political confrontation.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said accepting a memorandum did not amount to endorsing its contents. “The anarchist Rahul Gandhi tried to pull the President of India into the anarchism that he's trying his best to conduct on the streets of India,” Patra said.

A bench led by CJI Surya Kant had, in May 2026, upheld the validity of the power of the Election Commission of India to conduct the SIR. The CJI's bench is also seized of petitions challenging the various decisions of the CEC, which are alleged to have been taken without the concurrence of the other Election Commissioners.