New Delhi, October 12: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on Monday said the doors of the Supreme Court remain open to every Indian citizen, explaining that anyone, including elected representatives, can approach the court with a petition. His remarks came after he declined a request for a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over concerns related to electoral processes.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had written to the CJI seeking an appointment between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday. They intended to submit a memorandum raising concerns over alleged “vote chori”, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, calling for a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and seeking a return to paper ballots.
Speaking to reporters after attending an event organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on human rights and access to water, Justice Surya Kant confirmed that he had received the letter on Sunday and responded that night.
“I received the letter yesterday, so I replied to it last night. I have given some reasons in the letter on the basis of which I expressed my inability to meet him,” the CJI said.
When asked to disclose the specific reasons for declining the meeting, he refused to reveal the contents of the correspondence, citing confidentiality.
“I would request you to ask him about the contents of that letter. I have maintained its confidentiality,” he said, according to news agency ANI.
However, the CJI made it clear that the judiciary remains accessible to all citizens. Responding to a question about how elected representatives should raise their concerns, he said that anyone could approach the Supreme Court through the appropriate legal process.
“The doors of the Supreme Court are open to all. Anyone can approach us with a petition, whether an ordinary citizen or a member of an elected body,” Justice Surya Kant said.
He added that every Indian citizen has the right to approach the court and that grievances would be considered in accordance with the law. The court, he said, would ensure that citizens receive whatever relief they are legally entitled to.
The CJI also declined to comment on the ongoing protests in Delhi, describing the matter as a law-and-order issue.
Separately, he explained the circumstances behind the cancellation of a proposed visit by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the One Nation One Election proposal to the Supreme Court. He said the possibility of a conflict of interest had prompted discussions on the administrative side, leading him and his senior judicial colleagues to collectively decide that such a situation should be avoided.
The CJI’s remarks come amid heightened political tensions over electoral reforms and the ongoing opposition-led protests concerning the Election Commission.
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