But Cong president repeats ‘Chowkidar chor’ hai in Amethi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed regret in the Supreme Court over his remarks attributing certain comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the basis of a recent order of the top court in the Rafale deal case, but wasted no time in repeating his “Chowkidar chor” jibe against the PM in Amethi. 

Rahul expressed “regret” in the Supreme Court for claiming SC had justified his  “Chowkidar chor hai” allegation in its order. He said the comment was made in the “heat of political campaigning”.

The apex court on April 15 had given a categorical clarification that in its Rafale verdict there was no occasion for it to make a mention of the contemptuous observation that “chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hain” as has been attributed to it by Rahul. The court had directed Rahul to give his explanation on April 22 on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi seeking criminal contempt action against him for his remarks. It is scheduled to hear Lekhi’s petition on Tuesday.

Rahul, who filed an affidavit in response to the apex court’s order, said his statement was “purely political” and was made to counter the “misinformation campaign” being led by senior BJP functionaries as well as the Government that the December 14 last year judgment gave a “clean chit” to the Modi Government on the Rafale deal.

He also referred to a media interview by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he had said the apex court had given a clean chit to the Government in the Rafale deal.

He maintained that there was no “slightest intention” to “insinuate” anything regarding the Supreme Court proceedings in any manner as he holds the top court in the highest esteem.

Clarifying further, Rahul said he had made the statement after filing his nomination paper on April 10 without “having seen or read the order” of the apex court passed on that day relating to the admissibility of certain documents related to the Rafale case in the review petition.

However, on the issue of slogan “Chowkidar chor hai”, Rahul in his affidavit re-affirmed his stand and belief and that of his party that Rafale deal is 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 Prime Minister Modi, which deserves to be investigated thoroughly by a Joint Parliamentary Committee and proceeded against thereafter”.

Away from the SC proceedings,  Rahul once again raked up  his often-repeated  poll theme of alleged corruption in the Rafale deal and  exhorted people to ask the Prime Minister what he got in return for benefiting Anil Ambani with Rs 30,000 crore in the fighter jet deal.

Mocking at the PM’s “Main bhi chowkidar” campaign, Rahul said, “When his (Modi’s) theft was caught in the Rafale deal he says “hum sab chowkidar hain.”

Addressing an election rally in his parliamentary constituency here, Rahul said, “When the PM comes and makes false claims, just ask him why he gave Rs 30,000 crores to Ambani and what Ambani did for him in return... Soon after the Congress comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections, an enquiry would be instituted in the Rafale deal and the truth will be before everyone.”