JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has issued an apology for his recent statement concerning the judiciary. In a response filed with the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday, Gehlot expressed that the views he had articulated in August were not representative of his personal beliefs.
He further noted that some previous judges had also made statements regarding corruption within the judiciary, and he had merely quoted them in his statement. Despite this, if his remarks had caused any harm to the dignity of the judiciary, he extended his sincere and unconditional apologies.
Advocate Prateek Kasliwal, representing Gehlot, said in response, “Many former judges have spoken about the corruption in the judiciary many times, these are not CM Gehlot’s own views. He has full respect for the judiciary. Nevertheless, if his statement has hurt the judiciary he apologises unconditionally.”
Kasliwal further added that they had also submitted documents containing statements made by former judges alongside Gehlot’s response in court. The division bench of Chief Justice AG Masih in the High Court has scheduled the next hearing of the case for November 7, where Gehlot’s statement will be formally recorded.
On August 30, Gehlot, during a media interaction in Jaipur, had alleged rampant corruption within the Judiciary. The CM had said that whether it is the lower judiciary or the higher judiciary the situation is the same everywhere. “Today, we hear about the massive corruption in the judiciary,” he had said and asserted that he had heard reports of lawyers drafting judgments and then acquiring those exact judgments, raising questions about the integrity of the judicial system at various levels.
Gehlot also supported allegations made by BJP MLA Kailash Meghwal against Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, claiming that he had learned about extensive corruption during Meghwal’s tenure, which had been concealed. Gehlot alleged that these individuals had secured a legal stay order from the High Court.
Gehlot’s statement regarding the judiciary triggered significant outrage within the legal community. Lawyers from the High Court to the state courts demonstrated against him. Former Vice-President of the Rajasthan Bar Council (BCR), Yogendra Singh Tanwar, had submitted a complaint letter to the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court regarding these allegations. Numerous advocates too had filed petitions against CM Gehlot in the High Court. In response to Shivcharan Gupta’s petition, the High Court issued a notice to the Chief Minister, requesting his reply.