Tewari tenders apology to Gadkari over Adarsh allegations: BJP

Congress leader Manish Tewari has tendered an "unconditional apology" to former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari for for allegations against him relating to Adarsh housing society controversy, the BJP said Wednesday.

According to a Bharatiya Janata Party press release, Tewari, the information and broadcasting minister, made a written submission in the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Mumbai.

"I state that in future, I will never put you in disrepute by making any comments with regard to the Adarsh Society," Tewari also said in his submission.

Tewari, in his capacity as Congress spokesperson, had made a statement at a press conference on Nov 10, 2010, alleging that Gadkari owned a benami flat in the Adarsh Society.

Gadkari had filed a criminal defamation suit against Tewari after he refused to apologize for the allegations.

In his submission, Tewari said: "I state that, after perusal of the newspaper reports egarding the judicial commission appointed to investigate the Adarsh Society scam, it reveals that you (Gadkari) have not played any role or you have any concern of whatsoever nature with the scam."

"Therefore, now I understand that whatever statements I had addressed in the press conference on Nov 10, 2010, which were aired in electronic media and printed on Nov 11, 2010 in print media, were not related to the true facts."

"I understand that, by such statements you have to suffer huge disrepute and have to face uncomfortable situation within your party and the society. Therefore, by this communication, I tender my unconditional apology for the allegations made against you," said Tewari.

The release said that Gadkari had moved the court with a plea to withdraw his petition in view of the unconditional apology tendered by Tewari.