Hearing on the issue of CAA in the Supreme Court today, the validity of the law has been challenged

New Delhi: Opening on Monday after a nine-day holiday on the occasion of Diwali and other festivals, the Supreme Court will hear around 240 PILs, including petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justice S. Only 232 petitions, mostly PILs, are listed for hearing on October 31 on the issue of CAA before a bench of Ravindra Bhat and Justice Bela M. Trivedi.

Earlier, a bench headed by Justice Lalit had said that the petitions challenging the CAA would be referred to a three-judge bench. The main petition on this issue was filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). The top court had clarified in January 2020 that it would not stay the implementation of the CAA without listening to the Centre.

Seeking a response from the central government in four weeks on a batch of petitions challenging the CAA, the top court had stayed the country’s high courts from hearing pending petitions on the issue.

Other important people who filed the petition include Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

Muslim organization Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, All Assam Students’ Union, Peace Party, Communist Party of India, NGO ‘Rhaihai Manch’, advocate ML Sharma and law students also approached the apex court challenging the act Is.

The CJI-led bench will also hear another PIL which has sought setting up of special anti-corruption courts in every district to decide cases related to various economic offenses like money laundering and tax evasion within a year.

The top court will also consider a PIL seeking a direction to the Center to declare the Law Commission as a ‘statutory body’ and appoint the chairman and members of the panel.

A PIL is also scheduled for hearing on October 31, seeking a direction to the Election Commission to remove party symbols from ballot papers and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and to affix age, educational qualifications and photographs of candidates.