Apology shows admission of guilt: Lekhi on Rahul

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Hours after the Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Congress President Rahul Gandhi's counsel even after he verbally apologised for incorrectly attributing to the top court his "chowkidar chor hai" remark, BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi said this showcased an unequivocal admission of guilt by him.

Addressing a press conference at the Delhi party unit office here, Lekhi said: "This showcases nothing but an unequivocal admission of guilt by Rahul Gandhi, who deliberately and wrongly attributed these remarks to the Supreme Court for his own political gain.

"It is clear that the plank of the Congress campaign is based on spreading lies alone. Their desire to spread misinformation is only second to their ability to misguide the people," she said.

She said the contempt petition against the Congress leader was precipitated by a need to set the record straight.

Lamenting at the Congress leader, Lekhi said the Congress had failed to even flinch before politicising an institution that prides itself on pursuit of justice.

"While Singhvi, Advocate, submitted on behalf of Gandhi that 'I have made three errors. I accept. I wrongly attributed the statements to My Lord. I apologise", no written apology on oath was forthcoming from Rahul Gandhi".

Lekhi stated that Gandhi's expression of "regret" was without any meaning.

"This is manifest from the fact that the Congress and Gandhi, who are consistently represented in courts by a battery of lawyers, know fully well the stark difference between an apology and regret," she said.