Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant said on Monday that every Indian citizen has the right to approach the courts and that the Supreme Court’s doors are open to everyone, amid the INDIA bloc’s planned march to the court against the Election Commission.
Responding to the INDIA bloc’s request for a meeting, the CJI said he had received a letter on Sunday and replied the same night, explaining why he would be unable to meet the delegation. “I received the letter yesterday, so I replied to it last night. Justice Surya Kant on Monday declined to reveal why he had refused to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, citing the confidentiality of the correspondence between them.
“The doors of the Supreme Court are open to all. “Every citizen of India has the right to come to us. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively, had written to the CJI seeking an appointment between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to submit a memorandum.
Anyone can approach us with a petition, whether an ordinary citizen or a member of an elected body,” he said. I have given some reasons in the letter on the basis of which I expressed my inability to meet him,” he said after speaking at an NHRC’s 33rd Foundation Day function. Their demands included an end to alleged “vote chori”, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and a return to the paper ballot system. We will hear their problems in accordance with the law and ensure that they receive whatever relief they are entitled to,” the CJI said.
