More than a month after his “corruption is rampant in judiciary” comment, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday apologised for his statement.
In his reply filed in the Rajasthan High Court (Jaipur Bench), Gehlot said that whatever he had said was not his views, as former judges have also given statements many times regarding corruption in the judiciary.
“Even in my statement, I expressed my views while quoting them. Still, if my statement has hurt the dignity of the judiciary, I apologise,” he said.
Taking the statement of Gehlot on record, the division bench of Chief Justice A.G. Masih fixed the next hearing in the case for November 7.
Advocate Prateek Kasliwal, who appeared on behalf of Gehlot, said: “We have presented the documents of statements given by former judges along with the reply of CM Gehlot in the court.”
Gehlot, while talking to the media in Jaipur on August 30, had said that severe corruption is taking place in the judiciary.
“The situation is serious. Countrymen should think,” he had said.
“The allegations made by BJP MLA Kailash Meghwal against Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal are true. I have come to know that there was a lot of corruption during his (Arjun Ram Meghwal) time. It has been suppressed. These people have taken a stay from the high court.”
There was a stir in the judicial circles over Gehlot’s remarks. Lawyers had also demonstrated against Gehlot in the high court and district courts.
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