NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed regret over incorrectly attributing his political slogan ‘Chowkidar chor hai’ to the Supreme Court. The court had directed Gandhi to give his explanation by April 22 on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi seeking criminal contempt action against him for his remarks.
His affidavit said, “The Respondent did not have the slightest or remotest intention to bring the court into the political arena or bring it into disrepute or attribute to it deliberately or wilfully that which the court had not said or meant.”
He further stated the statements were made in Hindi in a rhetorical flourish in the heat of the moment.
Gandhi added, “It is also clear 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.”A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi is expected to hear the case on Tuesday.