Congress president Rahul Gandhi files response to a contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi in Supreme Court on Rafale Deal statement, says the Statement was made in the heat of political campaigning.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, expressing regret over his remarks related to its Rafale verdict which the apex court had said was “incorrectly attributed” to it.

The apex court on April 15 had directed Gandhi to give his explanation by April 22. In the affidavit, Rahul Gandhi said he had made the statements in the heat of political campaigning which have been misused by his opponents.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had made it clear that Gandhi’s remarks, made in the media, on the Rafale verdict were incorrectly attributed to the apex court.

The top court had sought Gandhi’s explanation on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has sought criminal contempt against the Congress president.The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday. Meenakshi Lekhi told the media that it is an admission of guilt and thus Contempt. Considering the need to protect the integrity of the court in these testing times, such an admission is a vindication of the petition.