Congress president Rahul Gandhi has filed a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court reiterating his stand and again expressing regret on his remarks on the Rafale verdict. Gandhi said that unfortunate references to the court order and juxtaposition of the political slogan in the same breath ought not to be construed as suggesting that the court had given any finding or conclusion on that issue.
“It is unfortunate that this slogan got intermingled with my comments on and references to the apex court’s order dated 15.04.2019. My statement was made in the heat of political campaigning,” he said in his affidavit.
The court had on April 23 issued a criminal contempt notice to Gandhi for his remarks on its verdict in the Rafale case. Gandhi had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a thief attributing his remark to the court’s judgement.
The Congress president had 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.
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi had moved court against Rahul Gandhi’s remark. “The words used and attributed by him to Supreme Court in the Rafale case has been made to appear something else. He is replacing his personal statement as Supreme Court’s order and trying to create prejudice,” Lekhi said in her petition.
The Supreme Court will hear contempt case against Gandhi along with Rafale review petitions on April 30.
Agencies
