Thread by @ANI

Supreme Court begins hearing Election Commission's plea challenging Madras HC order wherein it criticized the poll panel for failure to maintain COVID-19 protocols during poll campaigns & said it 'should be put up on murder charges' for being 'most irresponsible institution'

Election Commission tells Supreme Court that it has been castigated (Madras HC) without any opportunity to it or seeking any reply from officers responsible under Disaster Management Act.

Hearing on Election Commission's plea, Supreme Court says media cannot be stopped from reporting oral observations made by judges during the course of hearings & oral observations are also of public interest.

Supreme Court says when something is observed by judges during hearing, it's in larger public interest. "They are also humans & they are also stressed. Take this in the correct spirit. We don't want to demoralize our high courts, they are vital pillars of our democracy," it says.

Hearing on Election Commission's plea against Madras HC order, Supreme Court says, "Often something is said due to past experience or after a series of orders not being adhered to. Everything cannot be in order."

Election Commission tells Supreme Court, "When rallies were happening, the situation was not that bad. We have serious objections to the observations. The high court's observation led to a continued discussion on electronic media that we are murderers."

SC says, "Sometimes we are harsh because we want to see, in larger public interest, something is done. After a series of orders, high court may be anguished. Look at Gujarat, 18 people died in fire at Covid-19 ward & this in spite of series of orders where fire NoC is required."

Supreme Court concludes hearing on Election Commission's plea challenging Madras HC order wherein it criticized the poll panel for failure to maintain COVID-19 protocols during poll campaigns.

The court says it will pass the order expeditiously this week