Not questioning judiciary, says opposition in letter to CJI

Opposition parties on Friday said that their recent joint letter to the chief justice of India (CJI), against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission of India (ECI) brass, was not meant to question the judiciary because they always turned to courts when every mechanism failed, but wondered who they would turn to if this mechanism too failed.

The Opposition also said that the letter was not intended to influence the judges who are hearing legal pleas against the SIR and the ECI. On Friday, the parties made public their references to the judiciary by formally releasing their June 28 letter, whose core concerns and grouses against the SIR and ECI had already been reported by the media.

"We are not questioning the judiciary. In fact, we turn to the courts when every mechanism fails. When this too fails, it leaves open the question - who do we now turn to? We leave that question for you to ponder upon," said the letter written by leaders of 24 Opposition parties to the CJI.


"It (letter) is not addressed to, nor intended for, any judge who is or may hereafter be seized of any of the matters referred to herein, and nothing we say is meant to influence the decision of any causes, pending before any court," the letter said. The Opposition's move to release the letter coincided with the BJP accusing these parties of raking up the same allegations before the CJI that had already been rejected by the apex court. The letter reiterated their allegations and grouses-against the SIR in Bihar and West Bengal, questionable deletions and disenfranchisement, especially of weaker sections, opposing the SIR drive in poll-bound states, alleging a "biased" ECI and the poll process posing a "threat" to democracy, questioning composition of the search panel for appointing the ECI brass and again accusing the government of misusing probe agencies.