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The remarks come amid a political confrontation over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday said he sent a reasoned response explaining his decision to decline Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s request for a meeting over allegations of “vote chori”, while emphasising that the Supreme Court is open to all and serves the common people.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, the CJI said he had communicated the reasons for turning down the meeting request. He also stressed that the Supreme Court remains accessible to citizens, underscoring its role as an institution for ordinary people.
“The Supreme Court is for common people and it is open to all,” he said.
The remarks come amid a political confrontation over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders had sought a meeting with the CJI to submit a memorandum raising their concerns.
The CJI declined the request, with the response reportedly pointing out that the issues raised were already before the court and should be pursued through the judicial process. The leaders were advised to approach the Supreme Court by filing a petition rather than seeking intervention through an administrative meeting.
The Opposition has demanded an end to alleged “vote chori”, a halt to the SIR exercise and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc is also scheduled to march to the Supreme Court on Monday to press its demands.
The march was also announced amid protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led political movement that has been agitating against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision process.
The protests have led to a significant security response in Delhi, with demonstrators detained and barricades put up at several locations. Gandhi accused the police of using force against protesters and alleged that BJP and RSS workers had joined in the violence.
The Election Commission, however, has denied favouring any political party and maintained that voters whose names have been wrongly deleted can seek re-enrolment. The BJP has also rejected the Opposition’s allegations, accusing its rivals of questioning legitimate electoral processes.
The Opposition’s decision to seek a meeting with the CJI and march to the Supreme Court has also drawn sharp criticism from former Solicitor General Harish Salve.
In an interview with IANS, Salve described the move as “sheer stupidity”, questioning why senior political leaders and lawyers would seek an appointment with the CJI instead of pursuing the established legal process.
“Did nobody tell them that the Chief Justice does not personally hear every case?” Salve asked, pointing out that cases are heard by the benches to which they are assigned and that judgments are delivered through the judicial process.
He argued that political leaders seeking relief from the judiciary must follow the prescribed procedure rather than make political demands directly before the Chief Justice.
Quick Answers
Ask News18CJI Surya Kant declined the request because the issues raised were already before the court, advising that matters pending before the judiciary should be pursued through formal legal proceedings rather than an administrative meeting_.
Ask News18About the Author
Ananya Bhatnagar, Principal Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convic…Read More
October 12, 2026, 10:55 IST
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