New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday orally expressed apology to the Supreme Court for attributing “chowkidar chor hai” remarks to the Court after the April 10 verdict agreeing to hear Rafale review plea on merits.
Earlier a three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph expressed displeasure and rejected the “regret” offered by Mr Rahul Gandhi.
The court pointed out the inherent contradiction of both “regret” and “justification” in the affidavit for the comments attributed to the apex court.
After repeated questioning by the bench, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Mr Gandhi said, “I sincerely apologise for attributing the comments to Supreme Court.”
The bench then asked him to file an additional affidavit expressing unconditional apology.
The bench in a brief order said, “We have heard counsel for the parties. After an extensive hearing Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior counsel for the respondent, seeks liberty to file an additional affidavit. While we observe that it will be open for the respondent to file the additional affidavit if he so desires, we make it clear that the admissibility and acceptance of any affidavit, if filed, will be considered on the next date fixed i.e. 10.05.2019.”
On April 15, the apex court had sought Mr Gandhi’s explanation on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has sought criminal contempt against him for wrongfully attributing statements to the apex court.
Mr Gandhi in his reply affidavit said that ‘Chowkidar’ remarks were made during political campaign in a “rhetorical fashion at the heat of the moment” and clarified that he did not have the slightest intention to bring Supreme Court into the political arena or disrepute.
He also said that the comments were twisted by his opponents and expre-ssed ‘regret’ for using ‘chowkidar’ remarks in juxtaposition with the verdict.
He said it is unfortunate that this slogan got intermingled with my comments on and references to the apex court’s order dated 15.04.2019.
“My statement was made in the heat of political campaigning. It has been used (and misused) by my political opponents to project that I had deliberately and intentionally suggested that this Court had said “Chowkidar Chor Hai” Nothing could be farther from my mind, he said.
During the resumed hearing on Tuesday counsel Mukul Rohatgi submitted that Mr Gandhi had not offered any unconditional apology for his remarks and had justified making them.
The bench told Mr. Singhvi that it was not able to understand the affidavit and asked why ‘regret’ was stated in brackets. The Court also asked if there was a statement of Mr Gandhi’s apology.
