New Delhi: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday said running law and order is the job of elected government, not that of the apex court.
The two-judge bunch including Justice PS Narasimha was hearing a bunch of petitions on Manipur violence.
Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the Kuki community, sought the Supreme Court’s intervention to bring the situation in the state under control.
The violence in the northeastern state claimed 150 lives, injuring hundreds since clashes have broken out between Kukis and Meitis in May.
When Gonsalves alleged that the violence in the state as ‘ state sponsored’ the Chief Justice responded ‘We do not want this platform to be used for further escalation of violence in the state’.
Gonsalves said ‘This is a case of severe escalation by armed groups which are notified in UAPA. These are being used by the state’.
The Chief Justice responded to the allegation that the apex ‘cannot run the law and order, elected government does.’
Directing the petitioners to come back with ‘ constructive suggestions’ , the court termed the situation in Manipur a humanitarian crisis, adding that ‘ we have an enormous power but we are also conscious’.
Meanwhile, the court took on record the status report on the situation in the state submitted by the Chief Secretary.
The court had previously directed the state government to submit a updated report on the measures it had taken to stop violence and rehabilitate the effected ones.