'Not My Domain': CJI Kant On Delhi Protest Situation and Curbs
Asked about members of the opposition seeking time to meet him, he said, in his reply to the letter, he has "cited some reasons" and expressed his position that he "won't be able to meet".
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2026-10-12 17:14 GMT
NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday said the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and related movement restrictions in Delhi concerned law and order and were outside his domain.
“Ye mera mudda nahin hai,” the CJI said when reporters asked about the protests on the sidelines of the National Human Rights Commission’s 33rd anniversary function at Vigyan Bhawan.
Asked about the Opposition’s march to the Supreme Court, he said: “I will not make any comments on it.”
The CJI also declined to disclose the reasons for refusing a meeting requested by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The leaders had sought a meeting between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding an end to alleged “vote chori”, the CEC’s resignation, a halt to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots.
The CJI said he had replied to the letter, explaining why he would not be able to meet them.
“Please ask the content of the letter from them. I have maintained its confidentiality,” he said.
Protests demanding Kumar’s resignation have disrupted parts of Delhi in recent days. Over the weekend, authorities deployed large numbers of security personnel, closed 45 Metro stations and intensified checks at the city’s borders. Thousands of protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party leaders and four former chief ministers, were detained.
Asked about MPs and the CJP continuing their protests, the CJI said: “Doors of the Supreme Court are open for everybody.”
“Anyone who desires, whether a common man or a member of any elected body, every citizen of India has a right to reach us. We will hear issues in consonance with the law, and whatever rights people deserve, we will grant them,” he said.
The CJI was also asked about the Supreme Court declining to meet the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining simultaneous elections.
He said the possibility of a conflict of interest was among the reasons conveyed to the panel, as the matter could later come before the court.
“There are more grounds on this. I have given more than one ground on this. I had said that there is a possibility of conflict of interests and the matter can come to court tomorrow. So, it was my and my colleagues’ view that we should avoid any conflict of interest,” he said.
JPC chairman P.P. Chaudhary had recently said the Supreme Court initially scheduled an informal interaction following the panel’s request, but later cancelled it after deciding that such a meeting was inappropriate.
Asked about the Opposition’s march to the Supreme Court, he said: “I will not make any comments on it.”
The CJI also declined to disclose the reasons for refusing a meeting requested by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The leaders had sought a meeting between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding an end to alleged “vote chori”, the CEC’s resignation, a halt to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots.
The CJI said he had replied to the letter, explaining why he would not be able to meet them.
“Please ask the content of the letter from them. I have maintained its confidentiality,” he said.
Protests demanding Kumar’s resignation have disrupted parts of Delhi in recent days. Over the weekend, authorities deployed large numbers of security personnel, closed 45 Metro stations and intensified checks at the city’s borders. Thousands of protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party leaders and four former chief ministers, were detained.
Asked about MPs and the CJP continuing their protests, the CJI said: “Doors of the Supreme Court are open for everybody.”
“Anyone who desires, whether a common man or a member of any elected body, every citizen of India has a right to reach us. We will hear issues in consonance with the law, and whatever rights people deserve, we will grant them,” he said.
The CJI was also asked about the Supreme Court declining to meet the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining simultaneous elections.
He said the possibility of a conflict of interest was among the reasons conveyed to the panel, as the matter could later come before the court.
“There are more grounds on this. I have given more than one ground on this. I had said that there is a possibility of conflict of interests and the matter can come to court tomorrow. So, it was my and my colleagues’ view that we should avoid any conflict of interest,” he said.
JPC chairman P.P. Chaudhary had recently said the Supreme Court initially scheduled an informal interaction following the panel’s request, but later cancelled it after deciding that such a meeting was inappropriate.