‘Irresponsible statements’: Priyanka Gandhi’s take on SC remarks draws flak; BJP may file contempt petition | India News
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced its intention to file a contempt of court petition against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, accusing her of making “irresponsible” comments following the Supreme Court‘s observations against her brother, Rahul Gandhi.BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra said the remarks made by Priyanka Gandhi in defence of Rahul amounted to contempt. “She has committed a contempt of court by making so many statements before the media. Therefore, we are going to file a contempt petition against her because she has been making such irresponsible statements without knowing what the Court intended to say (to Rahul Gandhi). The petition will be filed by the Bar and the lawyers. The public of this country will not tolerate such irresponsible statements,” Mishra told reporters in Delhi.The development follows a strong reaction from Priyanka Gandhi after the Supreme Court criticised Rahul Gandhi for comments made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022. The Court had stayed proceedings against him in a Lucknow court but questioned his decision to speak on sensitive matters outside Parliament. “If you are a true Indian, you won’t say such a thing,” a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih told Rahul.Priyanka Gandhi, responding at the Parliament House complex, had said, “With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who is a true Indian. It is the job of the opposition leader. It is his duty to ask questions and to challenge the government.”Also read: Priyanka defends Rahul after SC rebuke; insists he never disrespected ArmyShe also defended her brother’s record, saying, “My brother would never say anything against the Army. He holds the army in the highest respect. So it is a misinterpretation (of his remarks).”“With due respect to the judiciary, it is outside its purview to decide who is a true Indian and who is not,” she went on to add.Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal, have backed Rahul Gandhi, calling the Supreme Court’s remarks “unwarranted” and defending his right as Leader of the Opposition to question the government on matters of national interest.
