Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Issues Unconditional Apology for Judiciary Remark

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Issues Unconditional Apology for Judiciary Remark

VoM News Desk | October 3, 2023 | 10:13 PM IST | Courts & Law, Rajasthan | Follow on Google News

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Issues Unconditional Apology for Judiciary Remark

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Issues Unconditional Apology for Judiciary Remark

In a significant development, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has submitted an “unconditional apology” in the Rajasthan High Court regarding his earlier statement suggesting widespread corruption in the judiciary.

This affidavit comes in response to a petition filed by an advocate following Mr. Gehlot’s comment on August 30, which had caused outrage within the legal community. In his statement, Gehlot had implied that some judges were delivering judgments that were drafted by lawyers themselves.

Gehlot’s exact words were, “Corruption is rampant in the judiciary today. I have heard that some lawyers themselves take the judgment in writing, and the same judgment is pronounced.”

The bench of Justices M M Shrivastava and Praveer Bhatnagar has scheduled the next hearing for November 7, allowing the petitioner to submit a rejoinder to the chief minister’s affidavit.

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In the affidavit, Mr. Gehlot emphasized his profound respect for the law and the judiciary, affirming that he had neither intentionally nor unintentionally made any statement to undermine the dignity of the law or the courts.

He further expressed his unwavering faith in the judiciary. However, if the court believes that his statement had the potential to diminish the judiciary’s dignity in the eyes of the public, Gehlot offered an “unconditional apology” for the same.

The affidavit also acknowledged that Mr. Gehlot had been reading statements from former judges of the Supreme Court regarding corruption in the judiciary. It mentioned that members of the public who had approached him with their grievances had also raised concerns about “corrupt practices” within the judiciary.

This, the affidavit stated, had greatly distressed the Chief Minister. Additionally, it included some published articles on the subject of the judiciary.

Earlier, Mr. Gehlot’s remark had prompted a day-long strike by high court lawyers and those working in lower courts in Jodhpur. The Chief Minister subsequently backtracked, asserting that his comment did not represent his “personal opinion.”

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