Rafale controversy: Supreme Court tells Rahul Gandhi to explain remark

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed political leaders to ensure that none of their views, observations or findings are attributed to the court in political addresses to the media or public unless such views, observations or findings are recorded by the court.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna passed this order while seeking the response of Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over his “chowkidar chor hai” remarks after the apex court’s April 10 Rafale order.

The Bench asked Mr Gandhi to submit his clarification on the statement through an affidavit on or before next Monday and the matter will be heard on April 23 (next Tuesday).

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ms Lekhi, accused Mr Gandhi of misquoting the Supreme Court’s order when the Congress leader said the apex court had accepted that “chowkidar” (a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi), is a “chor’ (thief).