The court was hearing a batch of 46 petitions challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists and related public protests.
The Chief Justice’s sharp observations, declaring that “nobody can browbeat the judiciary” and questioning the conduct of key political actors, have sent strong ripples across the political landscape. notice was formally issued to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and other opposition figures over the high-drama march to the Supreme Court While the bench avoided naming individual leaders in its verbal remarks. The Supreme Court became the epicenter of a major constitutional debate on Thursday as Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued a stern reprimand regarding attempts to intimidate or pressure the judiciary.
We are not sitting in ivory towers; we know what is being said inside the court and outside it. “Nobody can browbeat or pressure the judiciary. Such attempts have happened in the past and they have never succeeded. We will ask the petitioner to explain their conduct on the next date of hearing. The apex court’s indignation stems from the events of the Opposition’s march towards the Supreme Court. Protesting the Election Commission’s voter roll revisions (SIR) and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders accompanied by large crowds of supporters reached the court premises near closing hours. The sudden influx of political figures, security details, and chanting crowds into the registry office created chaotic scenes. The sight of political sloganeering inside the administrative heart of the nation’s highest court drew sharp criticism from legal observers, prompting the bench to issue formal notices requiring the leaders to account for their conduct. In response, the Congress and allied parties maintained that their fight was strictly aimed at safeguarding voter rights against systemic manipulation and that their respect for the judicial system remains absolute.
