Supreme Court notice to Rahul Gandhi for his 'chowkidar chor' remarks on Modi over Rafale deal

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, asking him to explain his "now Supreme Court had said that Chowkidar chor hain" remarks on Rafale deal, which he atributed to the top court. Hearing a contempt petition filed by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that the its order was based on the documents provided by the petitioners and that it has not made any such remarks claimed by the Congress chief.

On April 10, after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Rafale review petition on basis of 'leaked documents', Rahul Gandhi had said, "The entire country is saying that chowkidar has committed theft. It is a day of celebration that the Supreme Court has talked about justice."

The remarks of the Congress cheif didn't go down well with Lekhi - a parliamentarian of the BJP from New Delhi constituency - who moved to the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against him for attributing his personal remarks on the recent Rafale verdict to the apex court.

Lekhi, in her plea, said that the Gandhi scion attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the BJP leader, told the bench that Congress president made a remark that the "Supreme Court has said, chowkidaar chor hai" in the verdict.

The Supreme Court has given the Congress chief one week's time to file his reply. The Court fixed the matter for further hearing on Monday, April 22.