New Delhi: Opposition leaders submitted a memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu on October 9th and have now announced plans to march to the Supreme Court and meet the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, October 12th. Why is the opposition taking the SIR fight to the President and the CJI? What is the opposition’s strategy behind this?
An opposition leader said in an informal conversation that this will make the SIR fight not just a political one but a constitutional one, and that we have already been saying that the Constitution itself is in danger under this government. Indeed, the President is the constitutional head of the country. Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are appointed by the President. However, this is a formality.
But the political significance of reaching out to the President is also that it allows the opposition to raise its allegations regarding the impartiality of the SIR and the Election Commission on a larger constitutional platform. After meeting the President, Rahul Gandhi said that the President had asked him for evidence of alleged vote theft. However, no official statement was issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan regarding this conversation. Government sources also dismissed Rahul’s statement as false and said that dragging the President into the controversy was unfortunate.
Approaching the Supreme Court after the President is seen as an extension of the opposition’s strategy. The Supreme Court has the authority to hear petitions and issue necessary orders under Article 32 to protect fundamental rights. Petitions have already been filed in the courts regarding SIR.
By presenting its views before the CJI, the opposition wants to convey the message that it is prepared to fight this issue on every front, from Parliament to the streets and even the courts. The opposition is also attempting to corner the government and create a narrative that the Constitution is under threat, and therefore, it is appealing to the Supreme Court. Congress had also given the slogan ‘Constitution is in danger’ during the Lok Sabha elections and they also mention it in every protest.