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Supreme Court Asks Rahul Gandhi To Explain 'Chowkidar Chor Hai’ remark

The top court made it clear that remarks made by Gandhi on the Rafale verdict were “incorrectly attributed” to the apex court.
Thomas White / Reuters

The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that remarks made by Rahul Gandhi on the Rafale case verdict were “incorrectly attributed” to the apex court and directed the Congress President to give his explanation by April 22.

The apex court said it will consider the petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi seeking contempt action against Gandhi for attributing some observations to the apex court which was not in the Rafale judgement.

“We make it clear that views, observations, findings attributed to this court in the alleged speeches, remarks made by Gandhi to media/public have been incorrectly attributed to this court. We also make it clear that this court had no occasion to make such observation in as much as it was deciding legal admissibility of certain documents which were objected by the attorney general,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.

The bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said, “Having clarified the matter we deem it appropriate to seek explanation of Gandhi.”

The bench further said the explanation by Gandhi has to be filed on or before next Monday and the matter will be heard on April 23 (next Tuesday).

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Lekhi, had told the bench that the Congress president reportedly made a remark that the “Supreme Court said chowkidar chor hai” in the verdict.

The Congress president had on April 10 claimed that the apex court has made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed a theft.

He had made the statement while interacting with reporters in Amethi after filing his nomination papers where he is contesting against BJP leader and union minister Smriti Irani.

(With PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.