Rahul Gandhi contempt hearing: Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Tuesday apologised to the Supreme Court for attributing chowkidar chor hai remarks to the apex court in the context of the April 10 observation of the court on Rafale hearing. Advocate Singhvi admitted that he made three errors in the affidavit and he wrongly attributed the statements to the chief justice. The defence lawyer also said that he doesn’t think there was any deficiency in the affidavits, but if there is he should be allowed to rectify it.
Singhvi apologised for the mistake after CJI Ranjan Gogoi wanted to know where did Rahul Gandhi express his regret in the affidavit and told the advocate that he shouldn’t tell the court that he wants to file a reply.
Representing Meenakshi Lekhi, advocate Ruchi Kohli narrated how and when Rahul Gandhi made the statement. Rebutting the Gandhi scion’s argument that he had made the statements without reading the order of the Supreme Court, Ruchi said the second counter affidavit filed by him is similar to that of the first affidavit and he made those statements in the evening and in a political rally too.
Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Meenakshi Lekhi, demanded that the apex court should reject Singhvi’s affidavit because somewhere Rahul Gandhi denied the statement and somewhere he said he had not analysed the order. Rohatgi also said that Rahul Gandhi deliberately put words in the mouth of the Supreme Court for political gains.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday questioned the Congress president where did he express regret for dragging Supreme Court in Chowkidar chor hai comment. The top court was hearing the contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi against Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Meenakshi’s petition is based on Gandhi’s alleged statement that the Supreme Court has said Chowkidar Chor hai in relation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the preliminary objections raised by the Centre were rejected by the Supreme Court. Advocate Ruchi Kohli narrated how and when Rahul Gandhi made the statement.
