Supreme Court Calls Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to Explain Remarks on Chief Justice

What Happened

Supreme Court has summoned Shiv Sena UB T MP Sanjay Raut to explain his comments on Chief Justice Surya Kant. The court also asked the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to answer a petition filed on Thursday by Rahul Gandhi and 12 other leaders. On 12 October those leaders tried a march to pressure the court, prompting the bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymal Bagchi to intervene. The judges said the judiciary cannot be intimidated and that they are aware of statements made inside and outside the courtroom. They announced that at the next hearing they will question one of the petitioners about his conduct and will issue a notice, not implying any guilt.

Reaction

Opposition figures including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rajya Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, TMC MP Sougata Roy, NCP leader Supriya Sule, CPI(M) secretary M.A. Baby, IUML leader E.T. Mohammad Bashir, CPI leader D. Raja and MP Mahua Moitra also filed petitions challenging the Special Investigation Report (SIR). The court gave them notice regarding their conduct. A recent Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had earlier objected to SIR decisions, but the commission later clarified that the differences were not clashes and that all decisions were taken with consensus.

Context

The Supreme Court is India’s highest judicial body and safeguards the constitution from political pressure. The Election Commission oversees free and fair elections, while the SIR is an investigative report into alleged electoral irregularities. Sanjay Raut later apologised to the court, said he respects its role, and asked for justice in the election‑commission and Ankita Bhandari cases, accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of partisan bias and Home Minister Amit Shah of threatening behavior. He mentioned that eleven petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court and that the court has asserted it is not under anyone’s pressure.