Congress President “ Rahul gandhi” said that the Chowkidar Remark was made by him in the heat of the political campaign and he also clarified that he did not have the slightest intention to bring SC into the political arena or disrepute.
On April, 15 the apex court had asked Gandhi’s explanation on the petition filed by the BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who had sought criminal contempt against the congress president for wrongfully attributed statement to the apex court. Senior Advocate Mukul rohatgi and appeared on behalf of Lekhi and told CJI- led bench that congress president had made a remark that the SC has said “ Chowkidar Chor Hai” in the verdict in Rafale Review delivered on April, 10.
In the Affidavit filed today, Gandhi has clearly said that he has made a statement without going through the actual order and in the head of Political campaign he passed such comment on the BJP.
He as written following things in his affidavit?
“ At the time of and in my statement, the issues relating to court proceedings unfortunately got juxtaposed and mingled with a political slogan being used extensively by answering Respondent’s party as well as answering Respondent for the last several months, which is a matter of intense and frenzied public debate during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections” “It is unfortunate that this slogan got intermingled with my comments on and references to the Apex Court’s order dated 15.04.2019”
“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. It is also clear that no court would ever do that and hence the unfortunate references (for which I express regret) to the court order and to the political slogan in juxtaposition the same breath in the heat of political campaigning ought not to be construed as suggesting that the court had given any finding or conclusion on that issue”
“As a responsible political and public figure as also as the head of a 130 year old political party, the answering Respondent does understand that the said juxtaposition of the political and legal stands has been fully clarified by the order of this Hon’ble Court dated 15.04.2019 to which the answering Respondent humbly bows down”
This is how Congress President had taken his words back and said sorry.