New Delhi: After coming under fire for a controversial X post on the party’s official platform, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has issued an unconditional apology to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.
In the disputed post, the party had called for the resignation of the CJI. This has sparked sharp criticism across political and legal circles.
After receiving a formal legal notice from Supreme Court advocate Meenesh Dubey, KPCC president Sunny Joseph stated that the comments published on the official social media handle were entirely unauthorised. The post did not represent the official stance, policy, or considered opinion of either the state unit or the Indian National Congress, the state leadership stressed.
In its detailed reply, the state party leadership disclosed that the post had been published by Vijay Thottathil without prior consultation, knowledge, or authorisation from senior leaders, as reported by News 18.
The party announced that it took swift action and removed the official responsible from his position and directed him to tender an explicit public apology.
It all started after the CJI, in reply to a reporter’s query at an event, said that maintaining public law and order does not fall within his domain.
On October 12, the KPCC posted that if maintaining public order fell outside judicial scope, the head of the judiciary should step down. Facing immediate backlash, the party removed the content within hours of publication.
Reeling under severe pressure, the state Congress leadership declared its deep respect for the Indian Constitution, the independence of the judiciary, and the constitutional dignity associated with the office of the Chief Justice.
While robust political discourse and disagreement over judicial decisions are legitimate in a democracy, language that undermines institutional respect remains unacceptable, the party emphasised.
Acknowledging the need to review its social media protocols and communication channels to prevent unauthorised statements from being broadcast in the future, the party leadership assured that measures are being implemented to ensure strict oversight to safeguard political discourse standards.
