Rahul Gandhi: Committed no contempt, remarks in ‘heat of campaign’

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss a criminal contempt petition against him filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over his ‘chowkidar chor hai’ remarks on the Rafale fighter jets deal concluded by the Modi government. The court will hear his plea along petitions to review the Rafale ruling on Tuesday. The government on Monday tried to seek time to file more documents but a bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi rejected the request.

Gandhi’s affidavit submitted to the court through lawyer Sunil Fernandes reiterated his stand that he had not committed contempt or attribute any remark to the court.

Gandhi expressed his regret to the court over his remarks made in the ‘heat of campaigning’ that ‘juxtapositioned’ court orders against his political slogan on the Rafale deal.


He said that he did not have the slightest intention, desire or thought, to bring the court into the political arena or bring it into disrepute by deliberately or willfully at-tributing remarks the court had not made.

He said that his response was based on the ‘general perception’ the court had reopened the Rafale case for hearing. He claimed his statements reflected the ‘sense of victory’ and ‘exhilaration’ among those campaigning for an inquiry into the deal. He also pointed out that the PM, other limbs of the government and the BJP had repeatedly dubbed the court’s December 14 order as a ‘clean chit’ to the government. His statements were a ‘rhetorical flourish in the heat of the moment’ without seeing a copy of the court order, he said.

“Issues relating to court proceedings unfortunate- ly got juxtaposed and mingled with a political slogan being used extensively… for the last several months…. That slogan is ‘chowkidar chor hai…There is no intention, direct, indirect, remote, implied or an attempt in any other manner to violate any court order, obstruct the administration of justice, or prejudice or interfere with the due course of any judicial proceedings, or scandalise the court in any manner,” Gandhi said.

He reaffirmed the stand of his party that the Rafale deal was a ‘tainted transaction’ and a ‘gross and brazen abuse of executive power’ and a ‘leading example of the corruption’ of the BJP government led by PM Modi which deserved to be probed by a JPC, while making it clear that no court would adopt, endorse or uphold such a political slogan.

“My statement was made in the heat of political campaigning. It has been used (and misused) by my political opponents,” Gandhi said.