Four senior judges of India's Supreme Court have come out in the open complaining about the working of the country's top court.

The four, led by Justice Jasti Chelameswar, in a rare move held a news conference in the Indian capital and said they did not agree with the allocation of work to them by their senior, Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

Chelameswar says the four judges met Misra on Friday and demanded remedial action, but he did not agree with them.

He says many things less than desirable have happened in the last few months. He did not give details.

He says unless the sanctity of the Supreme Court and its 25 justices is preserved, the democracy could not survive in this or any other country.

Misra has not commented.