Expressing displeasure over the distortion of its order by Gandhi, the court clarified on Monday it had no occasion to express any view against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal.
The Supreme Court has asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to explain by April 22 how he arrived at the "incorrect" conclusion that the court had observed 'Desh ka chowkidar chor hai' in its latest Rafale fighter jet deal order.
Expressing displeasure over the distortion of its order by Gandhi, the court clarified on Monday it had no occasion to express any view against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal.
The court also warned parties and politicians against attributing to it views or observations that do not find mention in its orders while making their public speeches.
Gandhi, whose explanation will be heard in court on April 23, landed in the dock after April 10, the day when a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi accepted 'secret documents' from the Ministry of Defence on which the Centre had claimed privilege while considering the review petitions in the Rafale case.
But in his public utterances that day, Gandhi said the apex court had held that "Desh ka chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hai". Based on this, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi moved a contempt petition against him, which came up for hearing on Monday.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Lekhi, said the court order stated nothing of this sort and demanded criminal contempt action against Gandhi for misleading the public against the PM and the court
The bench of CJI Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said, "This court had no occasion to record any view or finding as attributed by [Gandhi]." It said what was decided was a "purely legal question of admissibility of certain documents to which objections were raised by the Attorney General".
BJP: Rahul lie exposed
- BJP attacked Congress, with Minister Prakash Javadekar saying, 'The SC has exposed Gandhi's lie. People are demanding an apology.'
- Congress spokesperson, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, responded, 'The SC has sought an explanation. We will give an explanation.'
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rahul Gandhi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}