The Opposition leaders had also sought an appointment with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant to discuss their concerns. However, the CJI declined their request and advised them to approach the court through a petition, following the established legal procedure.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced that Opposition leaders would march towards the Supreme Court later in the day to begin the legal process. He also appealed to citizens to join the campaign in support of the Constitution and democracy.

Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash dismissed the Opposition’s allegations and claimed that the Supreme Court had already ruled on the constitutional validity of the SIR exercise.

“This is baseless… They are lying. The Supreme Court has already ruled on the constitutionality of SIR,” Prakash told IANS.

He also accused the Congress of repeatedly losing elections, including contests held using ballot papers.

“The main issue is that Congress is losing wherever elections are being held. It is also losing wherever elections are conducted using ballot papers. The Congress lost in Silchar, Assam, in local elections in Tripura and in Himachal Pradesh,” he said.

BJP Leaders Question Opposition’s Approach

Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav also criticised the INDIA bloc’s move, stressing that constitutional institutions must be allowed to function independently and exercise their powers under the Constitution.

Speaking to IANS, Yadav said any situation in which constitutional institutions were unable to perform their duties would be a cause for concern.

“If constitutional institutions are not provided security and are unable to exercise the powers granted to them under constitutional provisions, it is certainly a matter of concern, and democracy will not survive. The beauty of Indian democracy is that our ancestors fought very hard to achieve independence,” he said.

Yadav also accused the Congress of lacking substantive political issues and struggling to raise fresh concerns against the government.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal questioned Bihar Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav’s participation in the march, challenging the Opposition’s claims that people had faced difficulties during the SIR exercise in Bihar.

Speaking to reporters, Jaiswal said the Opposition had failed to produce evidence of people experiencing problems during the revision process, despite Rahul Gandhi’s tour of the state.

“Tejashwi Yadav should first find one person in Bihar who has faced a problem with SIR. Bihar was the first state in the country where SIR was conducted. For 15 days, the poor man stood in the third row of Rahul Gandhi’s jeep and travelled across Bihar. Even after touring the entire state for 15 days, he could not bring forward a single person… It is actually good for us that they raise issues that no one has any problem with,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi’s March Draws Further BJP Criticism

Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam also criticised Rahul Gandhi, arguing that political leaders must follow the prescribed judicial process when seeking the intervention of the courts.

“Rahul Gandhi’s understanding appears incomplete, or his advisers have not guided him properly. There is a difference between the judiciary and the executive. A march to a Collector’s office or a political party’s office is understandable. However, when approaching the judiciary, whether a leader, actor, senior minister or even the government, a petition must be filed as per the established procedure,” Kadam said.

He added, “If such a senior leader is unaware of something so basic, people should reconsider what he can offer the country…”

Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also accused the Opposition of attempting to put pressure on constitutional institutions by seeking a meeting with the Chief Justice.

“For the first time, protesters were willing to meet the Chief Justice. They wanted to meet the President, and the President met them and heard their concerns. Now, they do not want to spare even the Supreme Court. They want to pressurise democracy,” Singh said.

The BJP’s criticism comes amid a growing political dispute over the SIR exercise, with the INDIA bloc raising concerns about the electoral rolls and the ruling party defending the revision process. The Opposition has sought judicial intervention, while BJP leaders have questioned both its allegations and its decision to march towards the Supreme Court.

(With IANS inputs)