Newdelhi,Oct 16, 2026 15:00 IST
The Janata Dal (United) on Friday criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent protest march to the Supreme Court, alleging that it was an unprecedented attempt to pressure the judiciary, according to reports from the Press Trust of India.
The political reaction followed a Supreme Court hearing a day earlier concerning the October 12 march led by Gandhi and several other opposition figures, which centered on alleged irregularities within the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. During the proceedings, the court stated that no entity could browbeat the judiciary.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad told PTI that the situation marked an unprecedented development in the parliamentary history of India. He remarked that the country had never witnessed such circumstances and characterized the action as a direct attempt to influence the judicial system.
Prasad noted that many of the matters Gandhi protested about outside the court were already under judicial consideration. He pointed out that the Supreme Court observed how granting a meeting with opposition leaders would contradict constitutional propriety, while emphasizing that parties could approach the court through proper judicial channels by filing a petition.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices on Thursday to Gandhi, Congress president Mallikanjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, along with the Congress party, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, and others regarding the plea against the march.
Additionally, the court directed the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to respond to a separate petition filed by Gandhi and 12 other opposition figures addressing alleged large-scale voter deletions and flaws in the electoral roll revision process. The ongoing legal scrutiny encompasses both the controversial protest march and the underlying concerns regarding voter roll management.