Rafale: After regret, Rahul Gandhi expresses ‘apology’ in SC

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday orally expressed apology to the Supreme Court for attributing “chowkidar chor hai” remarks to the top court.

Pulling up Mr Gandhi for not accepting his mistake in his earlier 22-page affidavit in which he had express “regret”, the top court gave him opportunity to file one more affidavit expressing unconditional apology relating to his allegedly contemptuous “chowkidar chor hai” remark, which the apex court said was wrongly attributed to it  after its  April 10 decision to hear Rafale jet deal review plea on merits..

“You take 22 pages of affidavit to express regret?” a three-judge bench headed by.  Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi  asked Mr Gandhi’s counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The bench, including Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph, rejected the “regret” offered by Mr Gandhi and pointed out the inherent contradiction of both “regret” and “justification” in the affidavit.

“We have great difficulty in understanding what you want to say in the affidavit,” the bench said.

After repeated questioning by the bench, Mr Singhvi said, “I sincerely aapologise for attributing the comments to Supreme Court.”

The bench in a brief order said, “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 May 6.”

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 had said that “chowkidar” remarks were made during political campaign in a  “rhetorical fashion in 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 claimed that his remark had 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”.

During the resumed hearing on Tuesday, petitioner’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi said  that Mr Gandhi had not offered an unconditional apology for his remarks and had justified making them.

He said that Mr Gandhi had put words in the mouth of Supreme Court for political campaigning, which amounted to grossest form of contempt.