SC Rejects Sacked BSF Trooper’s Plea Challenging Modi’s Election

Bahadur had been sacked after he released a video in 2017 complaining about the quality of food served to soldiers.

Image of PM Modi and ex-BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra / The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 23 November, rejected sacked Border Security Force trooper Tej Bahadur’s plea challenging the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, news agency PTI reported.

The judgment was pronounced by a bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian at 12 noon.

On 18 November, the Chief Justice had said the Prime Minister's Office is a “unique office”, as it denied adjournment during the hearing of Tej Bahadur's plea. Tej Bahadur's counsel repeatedly sought adjournment, as he was unable to answer a specific query by the top court, news agency IANS reported.

The Chief Justice said: “This is too important a matter to be adjourned so many times. The respondent occupies a unique office. He is the PM of India.”

Bahadur had been sacked from service after he released a video in 2017 complaining about the quality of food served to soldiers, according to IANS.

“We cannot hear this case indefinitely. It is too important to pass over, we are hearing you and not cutting you short. The adjournment has gone into months in this case,” he added, according to IANS.

After a detailed hearing in the matter, the Supreme Court reserved its order.

WHAT WAS THE CASE ABOUT?

Tej Bahadur had moved the top court challenging an Allahabad High Court order which had dismissed his election petition against PM Modi.

Earlier, the SC allowed the Centre's plea to adjourn the hearing in the matter and sought its hearing after the Diwali vacation, IANS reported.

Tej Bahadur’s nomination papers as the Samajwadi Party candidate from Varanasi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were rejected and he had filed a special leave petition before the top court claiming that the rejection by the returning officer was allegedly under pressure from the BJP.

He had urged the top court to set aside the rejection of his nomination papers.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)