NEW DELHI, Jan 20 - Two judges in the Supreme Court bench hearing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have been replaced with two new faces. Justices Abdul Nazir and Sanjeev Khanna will replace Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant in the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde.
Meanwhile, the total number of petitioners who have challenged the CAA has gone up to 75 from the original 59. The case is coming up for further hearing on January 22.
The Supreme Court had on December 18 last year decided to examine the constitutional validity of the CAA but refused to stay its operation. The apex court had issued notice to the Centre seeking its response by the second week of January on a bunch of petitions challenging the CAA.
The bench comprising CJI Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant fixed 59 petitions, including those filed by the AASU, AJYCP, Indian Union Muslim League and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, and also agreed to the submission of lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay that common people should be made aware about the aim, objects and contents of the CAA.
The bench asked Attorney General KK Venugopal, who represented the Centre, to consider use of audiovisual medium to make citizens aware of the new legislation. Venugopal agreed to the suggestion and said that the needful would be done by the government.