Rafale Case: Court Contempt Case Filed Against Rahul Gandhi
The Supreme Court of India has passed an order to hear the review petitions in the Rafale corruption case in which PM Modi is the prime accused.
By Rakesh Raman
A BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi has filed a contempt plea in the Supreme Court against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against PM Narendra Modi after the Supreme Court verdict in the Rafale deal. The court has agreed to hear the plea on April 15.
In her plea, Ms. Lekhi has accused Rahul Gandhi of misusing the court verdict and replacing the words of the apex court by his own words. She argued that it is not permissible as per the law and is strictly a contempt of court.
The petition has been filed under Section 15 read, rule 3C. Rahul Gandhi had stated that even the Supreme Court has agreed that ‘chowkidar chor hai’ (PM Modi as watchman is a thief) and that businessman Anil Ambani has been illegally paid Rs. 30,000 crore by Modi.
Ms. Lekhi added that the petition was filed on an urgent basis because Lok Sabha election is underway and because there is an attempt to influence the voters.
Filed a Criminal Court of Contempt against serial offender Rahul Gandhi. He attributed his own statements as Court’s verdict. Misrepresenting and lowering the dignity of the SC. Vilifying the Constitutional authorities!
— Chowkidar Meenakashi Lekhi (@M_Lekhi) April 12, 2019
The Supreme Court of India had passed an order on Wednesday (10 April 2019) to hear the review petitions in the Rafale corruption case in which PM Modi is the prime accused.
Earlier, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S. K. Kaul, and K. M. Joseph had decreed that the review petitions filed by former Indian ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan will be heard in the open court.
Along with the review petitions, the Court will also hear the correction petition filed by the Central Government, and also the petition filed for initiating perjury proceedings against officials who allegedly misled the Court by submitting false information in the notes submitted to the Court.
Meanwhile, Congress party alleges that since it is a case of Section 13(1)(d) in the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, an FIR must be registered against Modi.
Moreover, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to file a complaint against PM Modi in the newly constituted Lokpal. An AAP leader Gopal Rai said recently that his party will file Rafale and Sahara-Birla corruption complaints against Modi with Lokpal.
With an embezzlement of Rs. 30,000 crore (~ US$ 4 billion), the Rafale scam is stated to be the biggest government-led fraud in the world.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.
