JUDICIAL AUDIENCE DENIED: RAHUL GANDHI AND KHARGE TURN TO SUPREME COURT AMID ESCALATING ‘VOTE CHORI’ CONFRONTATION
October 12, 2026
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has declined a request from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge for a meeting to discuss their allegations of electoral malpractice, intensifying the political confrontation over voter-roll revision and the recent police crackdown on demonstrators in New Delhi.
Gandhi and Kharge had written to the Chief Justice seeking an appointment between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday, October 12, to submit a memorandum outlining their concerns. Their demands include an end to what they describe as “vote chori”, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots.
The Chief Justice’s response was communicated to the opposition leaders through their official email addresses, according to sources. No reason for declining the meeting was provided in the reported account.
The development comes amid mounting opposition criticism of the Election Commission and the government’s handling of protests against alleged irregularities in the electoral process. The INDIA bloc had previously marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk and submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking intervention over its concerns about electoral transparency.
Following the refusal of the meeting, opposition parties announced a protest march to the Supreme Court on Monday under the banner “Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy”. The Congress said participants would assemble at the Connaught Place–Barakhamba Road junction at 1.30 pm before proceeding towards the court. Gandhi said the march would bring together young people, opposition parties and civil society groups across political, caste, gender, community and state boundaries in defence of democracy and the Constitution.
In a post on social media, Gandhi referred to the previous day’s demonstrations in Delhi, alleging that young people who had gathered peacefully were beaten by police personnel and BJP supporters. He said the planned march would be a collective effort by citizens who believed in democratic principles and constitutional rights.
Kharge, speaking in Bengaluru, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating chaos across the country. He argued that the extensive police deployment and detentions during Saturday’s demonstrations reflected the government’s fear of the youth-led agitation. Describing the situation as an undeclared Emergency, Kharge said he and Gandhi had approached the Chief Justice respectfully, hoping to explain their concerns and seek judicial intervention.
The opposition’s allegations centre on the SIR exercise and its impact on electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc has questioned the fairness and transparency of the process and demanded Kumar’s resignation, while the BJP and the Election Commission have rejected claims of deliberate electoral manipulation.
The Chief Justice’s refusal to meet the two opposition leaders has added another development to the dispute, but it does not resolve the underlying allegations. The planned march to the Supreme Court is intended to maintain public pressure over electoral accountability and the recent handling of protests, even as the opposition continues to seek institutional attention for its claims.
