Supreme Court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi over statements on Rafale verdict

Meenakshi Lekhi had filed a petition against Rahul Gandhi last week.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection to a contempt petition filed against him over his statements on Rafale verdict.

In its notice issued to Rahul, SC has sought an explanation from him and he has been asked to file a reply in the court before Monday. The date for next hearing has been set for April 22.

While making the observations, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said: "We make it clear that views, observations, findings attributed to this court in the alleged speeches, remarks made by Gandhi to media/public have been incorrectly attributed to this court. We also make it clear that this court had no occasion to make such observation in as much as it was deciding legal admissibility of certain documents which were objected by the attorney general." 

The petitioner, BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi, has claimed in her petition 'the words used and attributed by him to SC 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'. https://t.co/51eoZaeWio — ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2019

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi had filed the petition against Rahul last week for his" chowkidar chor hai" comment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Rafale verdict.

After the apex court dismissed preliminary objection raised by the Centre seeking review of the earlier judgment in the Rafale case, the Congress president remarked: "Supreme Court has said chowkidar chor hai in the verdict."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also criticised Rahul for his statement and said, "We all know Congress president probably doesn`t read even half a paragraph, but by saying that the court has accepted that there is some corruption in the deal, and by also saying that the court has said ‘chowkidar chor hai`... These verge on contempt of court."