Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s bleak hope for Rajya Sabha saw a major setback on Friday as the Supreme Court dismissed her plea challenging the rejection of her nomination papers from Madhya Pradesh. Congress’s satyagrah protest outside the Election Commission over the rejection of her nomination also turned out to be futile after Delhi police detained several Congress leaders, bringing an end to the protest. The Supreme Court said, “We are not inclined to entertain this petition, and it is hereby dismissed”, the court said. The apex court also said that its observation on Natarajan’s nomination would not prejudice any election petition that may be instituted before the jurisdictional High Court. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Natarajan, argued that in the case cited against her, charges had not been framed, which is a requirement under the Representation of the People’s Act (RoP) for rejecting a nomination. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision, Natarajan said, “We all know the Election Commission’s stance. I do not wish to make any comment regarding the Supreme Court.” “I have been saying from day one that the Election Commission is deeply compromised, and today this has been proven once again. When the lawyer for the State of Madhya Pradesh stands up, this isn’t a matter concerning the State of Madhya Pradesh. We weren’t fighting against the states; we were talking about the Election Commission. We were highlighting how the Returning Officer was compromised, and they have been exposed before the public…” the Congress leader said. The nomination papers of Natarajan, the Congress candidate for one of three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh was rejected by the Returning Officer on the grounds that she allegedly failed to disclose a pending criminal case against her. In an eventful day, Congress also held a ‘Satyagraha’ protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the rejection of party leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination. The protesting workers were seen holding a banner with the quote “First Vote Chori, Now ‘Seat Chori’ and then the Election Commission’s brazen defiance.” The protesters were allegedly stopped by the Delhi Police as they attempted to march towards Rashtrapati Bhavan to seek an audience with President Droupadi Murmu and raise concerns over the issue. Heavy police deployment and barricading were put in place outside the Congress headquarters to maintain law and order. Police detained Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari and other party leaders participating in a ‘Satyagraha’ protest. Patwari got into a heated argument with the police who were trying to detain him during the protest at Jantar Mantar. He was eventually dragged into a police bus and detained. Congress leaders have been holding a ‘Satyagraha’ protest over the rejection of Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination. “The first case, the first such incident in Indian politics where a Rajya Sabha nomination has been cancelled–this is currently a subject of discussion in the country. There is a deep-seated feeling in the minds of the common public: will democracy survive in this country, or is the nation heading towards autocracy and dictatorship? This is a significant event that reflects that entire line of thought,” Patwari said.
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