The Supreme Court of India, led by Justice B.R. Gavai, has acknowledged facing allegations of encroaching upon the functions of the executive and legislature. This follows criticism from several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar after recent Supreme Court rulings, including those setting deadlines for the President and Governors to act on legislative bills and staying certain provisions of the amended Waqf Act. Justice Gavai, who is set to become Chief Justice next month, made these remarks during a hearing on a plea by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain. The plea seeks President's Rule and the deployment of paramilitary forces in West Bengal in response to recent violence, particularly in Murshidabad, during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Jain also requested the formation of a three-member committee of retired Supreme Court judges to investigate violence, human rights violations, and crimes against women in West Bengal from 2022 to April 2025, as well as a report on the displacement of Hindus. He cited Article 355 of the Constitution, which obligates the Union to protect states against internal disturbance. The Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, indicated reluctance to issue directions that could be perceived as judicial overreach. The court posted the hearing for the plea next week. In a separate matter, a plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the violence was withdrawn, with liberty to file a fresh petition. Recent violence in West Bengal, particularly in Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas, resulted in at least three deaths and hundreds displaced. The BJP has distanced itself from controversial remarks made by its leaders about the judiciary, including those by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Vice President Dhankhar. The controversy follows the Supreme Court's ruling in the Tamil Nadu bills case.