New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider the plea of Christuva Nallenna Iyakkam, Chennai, for urgent listing of its appeal, seeking postponement of the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu from April 18 to any other date. The petition is likely to be listed for hearing on April 8.
When counsel for the petitioner made a ‘mention’ for urgent listing, Justice S.A. Bobde, heading, a bench asked the counsel, “Can’t you cast your vote on a holy day? How long does it take to vote? We don’t want to advise you how to pray and how to cast your vote. There is no urgency.”
The petitioner’s counsel told the court that the Madras high court had dismissed their plea on March 22 and the special leave petition is directed against this order.
The petitioner submitted that the high court had rejected the plea without taking into consideration several factors. It ought to have harmonised the two aspects of the present case; firstly, the fundamental right of the Christians to do religious practice on the holy triduum which begins with Maundy Thursday followed by Good Friday and Holy Easter on Sunday.
Secondly, high court ought to have enabled them to discharge their fundamental duty to cast the vote in a free manner without any hindrance to their religious practices.
