Chowkidar chor hai: Rahul tells SC he regrets his comments
In what is sure to be used by BJP this election season, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he regretted the comments he made on Rafale, which he attributed to the Supreme Court. Replying to the top court's order, Rahul said he didn't intend to drag the court into the political arena. During his campaign, Rahul had said SC 'agreed' that Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed a 'theft'.
Backstory: Rahul misquoted SC to target PM Modi over Rafale
On April 10, SC bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi rejected a plea of Centre seeking a stay order on the use of documents while reviewing Rafale verdict. The Centre told the court the documents, which media published, were confidential. Rooting his attack on SC's verdict, Rahul told the people of Amethi that even court accepted PM Modi was a thief.
SC accepted what I have been saying: Rahul
"I am very happy that what I have been saying for months, that PM Modi has stolen Indian Air Force's funds and given Anil Ambani Rs. 30,000 crore, Supreme Court has accepted it and will investigate it," Rahul said, thanking the top court.
Last week, court reprimanded Rahul for misquoting order
Subsequently, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi filed a contempt plea and the court underscored the words Rahul used weren't theirs. "We make it clear the statement attributed to this court in the address made by the respondent (Rahul) to the media and public has been incorrectly attributed to this court," the bench said. It added the verdict only pertained to the admissibility of documents.
Political opponents misused my statement, said Rahul
Rahul was given time till April 22 to file his response. About the choice of his words, Rahul said, "It has been used (&misused) by my political opponents to project that I had deliberately and intentionally suggested that this Court had said Chowkidar Chor Hai." He regretted the remarks which he made in "heat of campaign".
Didn't want to drag court in political arena: Rahul
"Did not have the slightest or remotest intention, desire or even thought process, to bring the court into the political arena or bring it into disrepute or attribute to it deliberately or willfully that which the court had not said or meant," he added.
Rahul said his comments were based on general perception
Apart from this, Rahul also said that he came to know about SC's April 10 verdict through social media. He explained that his comments were based on the immediate perception that the court had agreed to reconsider its Rafale verdict. "It was in this context that Supreme Court order (April 10) rejecting the challenge of maintainability of review petition of government," he said.
