Rahul Gandhi's credibility has taken a beating, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the credibility of Congress president Rahul Gandhi has taken a beating after his faux pass over 'Chowkidar Hi Chor Hai' remark involving the Supreme Court.

Sitharaman said: "Rahul Gandhi's credibility has taken a beating. People in public life generously go on saying untruth. It is a matter of grief to repeat the untruth." "I feel sorry that the president of a national party like the Congress depends only on falsehood," she told media persons here.

The Defence Minister was responding to Gandhi's regret over his own remark where he had claimed that the apex court while giving an order on the admissibility of three documents in Rafale fighter jet deal had said that 'Chowkidar Chor Hai.'

Earlier in the day, Gandhi expressed his regret before the Supreme Court over his 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' remark and said that his statements were "used and misused" by the political opponents and that he "gave the statements in the heat of political campaigning."

The Congress chief made the submission in his response to a contempt plea filed by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi with regard to his statement over the Supreme Court's recent order in Rafale deal case.

The contempt petition accused Gandhi of misquoting the apex court's order by saying that the court accepted that 'Chowkidar' (a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi), is a 'Chor' (thief).

On April 15, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had sought an explanation from Gandhi on or before April 22 on the contempt plea of Lekhi. It posted the matter for hearing on April 23.

The Congress president while speaking to media persons in Amethi said: "The Supreme Court has made it clear that 'Chowkidar' allowed 'theft and that it has accepted that some sort of corruption has taken place in Rafale deal.