SC issues contempt notice to Rahul for ‘chowkidar chor hai’ jibe

A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi regretted for attributing his slogan of ‘chowkidar chor hai’ to the Supreme Court in regards to the Rafale verdict, the latter on Tuesday (April 23) issued contempt notice to Gandhi for his remark, which the apex court said was “incorrectly attributed” to it.

Expressing for misattributing the comment to the apex court, Gandhi had told the court that “the statement was made in the heat of political campaigning.”

The top court, however, on Tuesday said it will hear on April 30 the criminal contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi against Gandhi along with the pending review petition against the December 14, 2018 verdict in the Rafale jet deal.

The court rejected the plea of Gandhi to close the criminal contempt petition filed by Lekhi.

“On hearing senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on behalf of Gandhi in the contempt petition we deem it fit to issue notice to the respondent (Rahul) Gandhi,” a bench headed by Chief Justcie Ranjan Gogoi said. “We also direct the registry to list the review petition along with the contempt petition next Tuesday,” the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said.

Prime Minister Modi in March launched the ‘main bhi chowkidar’ campaign, in a bid to turn the tables on Congress’ jibe of ‘chowkidar hi chor hai’ slogan used against him.

(With agency inputs)