SC notice on govt plea to transfer all CAA petitions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to all petitioners who have filed various pleas for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act in different high courts on a plea by the Centre for a consolidated hearing of all cases in the apex court.

Sixty-one petitions have been filed against the law on the grounds that it was discriminatory and violated the basic principles of the Constitution. The court issued notices to almost all of them, including 61st petitioner advocate Umme Salma who filed her plea on Friday. The bench also issued notices on pleas favouring CAA too. Hearing on whether all cases need to be bunched and heard by the Supreme Court will begin after all sides complete submissions.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde had openly opposed the idea earlier insisting that SC wanted to have the benefit of verdicts of various high courts on the issue. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pleaded that SC adjudicate on the issue as high courts could come up with 'conflicting decisions'. He specifically objected to the Karnataka high court hearing of a CAA case.


While earlier refusing to have a centralised hearing, the CJI had said there were different reasons for CAA protests in different parts of the country. “The reasons behind the protests are different,” he had said.