Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said democratic and political protests must take place, but the Supreme Court should not be dragged into political demonstrations. His remarks came amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with Opposition leaders expected to march towards the Supreme Court as part of their campaign.
"There should not be any inconvenience caused to litigants, lawyers, court staff," CJI Surya Kant said during proceedings. He reiterated that demonstrations should take place at designated protest sites and that the functioning of the country's highest court must remain unaffected.
The CJI's remarks came after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), represented by its president and senior advocate Pradeep Rai, raised concerns over the alleged detention of lawyers and the suspension of internet services amid the protests. Rai submitted that lawyers were carrying out their professional duties and that authorities should not interfere with their work.
Senior advocate A.N.S. Nadkarni also sought protection for lawyers through a separate oral mentioning before the court.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan raised concerns over reports of police action against protesters and lawyers. He told the court that private citizens, including children, had allegedly been beaten with lathis and that senior advocates had been dragged along the streets and taken away in buses.
Sankaranarayanan urged the court to also convey its concerns to the police, arguing that the authorities should exercise restraint while handling demonstrations.
The CJI maintained that the Supreme Court could not be allowed to become part of the political protests, stressing that designated venues were available for demonstrations. He emphasised the need to ensure that litigants, lawyers and court staff could carry out their work without disruption.
The court agreed to list the petitions raising concerns over the alleged detentions and internet restrictions. The developments came amid heightened tensions in Delhi over demonstrations against the Chief Election Commissioner and the restrictions imposed on protests at designated locations.
