The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has declined a request by Opposition leaders to meet him on Monday, citing extensive reasons why such an interaction would not be appropriate at this juncture and in the present circumstances, dealing a setback to the Opposition’s plan to seek his intervention over the crackdown on a youth-led protest in Delhi and alleged irregularities in electoral processes.
Among the key reasons cited were the pendency of related matters before the Supreme Court in its judicial capacity and the CJI’s own adjudicatory role in petitions concerning these issues, people aware of the matter said.
CJI’s inclusion in committee selecting election commissioners
Gandhi also accused the government of attempting to intimidate those raising questions about electoral processes. Under the law, the selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister. He alleged that the public mandate had been stolen through manipulation of electronic voting machines in some places and the removal of names from electoral rolls in others.
The demand for the CJI’s inclusion in the committee selecting election commissioners is linked to a pending challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. Earlier reporting noted: Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday (October 11, 2026) said he and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi would meet the CJI on October 12 to raise concerns over alleged suppression of democratic rights, police action against protesters and irregularities in the Election Commission. Gandhi, and they had been given a time slot between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday (October 12, 2026) for the meeting.
He had said the march would culminate in the submission of a memorandum to the CJI, seeking an end to alleged “vote chori”, the halting of SIR and the removal of Gyanesh Kumar as chief election commissioner. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel had said that party MPs, MLAs and district presidents would travel to Delhi for Monday’s march. Kharge said he had written a letter to the CJI, as had Mr.
Earlier reporting noted: Speaking to reporters, Mr.
Opposition’s meeting with CJI
“The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have created chaos across the country. An undeclared Emergency is prevailing, and we will continue to fight against it. The decision came hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced that they had sought time to meet the CJI between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday. “We have scheduled a meeting between 4 and 5 pm, during which we will apprise him (CJI) of the situation.
Kharge had said that he and Gandhi had written to the CJI, seeking an opportunity to apprise him of their concerns over the functioning of constitutional institutions and request his intervention. Kharge, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, had said the delegation would place its concerns before the CJI with folded hands, adding that the leaders could not make demands of the head of the judiciary. We cannot demand anything from him, but we will place our concerns before him with folded hands and request his intervention,” Kharge had said. We will continue our fight to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of the people,” he said.
The proposed meeting had not been confirmed by the CJI’s office when the Opposition announced its plans on Sunday.
