CJI turns down Congress's meeting request; Opposition march to SC today

Congress may be compelled to organize a fresh protest if the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Surya Kant, declines their request for a meeting on Monday, according to wire material. The party had initially planned a march to the Supreme Court to address the SIR-CEC issue, but their request for a meeting was reportedly turned down late Sunday.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced the planned meeting on X, which caught many opposition members and legal experts off guard, as it would be unprecedented. Rahul Gandhi, who canceled a campaign event in Goa to oversee preparations for the protest in Chennai, called for citizens, opposition parties, and civil society to join the march to the Supreme Court, urging them to voice their dissent against the government.

Kharge criticized the police crackdown on protests, arguing that it is more severe during the current Modi government compared to the Emergency. Both Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to the Chief Justice, detailing their concerns and requesting his intervention. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, KC Venugopal, has urged party workers from all states to gather in Delhi for the massive protest.

State party presidents, including Rao Narender of Haryana, Ganesh Godiyal of Uttarakhand, and Govind Dotasara of Rajasthan, have instructed their workers to join the movement in large numbers, demonstrating the scale of the opposition's mobilization.