Thiruvananthapuram: Following severe backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and prominent legal associations, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has removed the individual responsible for a controversial social media post directed at Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. The party has also announced a formal internal probe into the incident.
The political uproar began on Monday after a now-deleted message surfaced on the official ‘Congress Keralam’ X (formerly Twitter) account, demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Justice. The post read, “Dear Surya Kant, if law and order is not your jurisdiction, then resign right now. We will find someone who can handle it.”
Addressing the controversy, KPCC President Sunny Joseph issued a statement clarifying that the derogatory post was uploaded without the knowledge, consent, or consultation of the state leadership. Confirming that the person managing the account has been relieved of their duties, Joseph reiterated the party’s unwavering respect for the judiciary.
“The Congress party has no differences of opinion regarding the impartiality of the courts,” Joseph stated. He further emphasized that social media posts expressing views contrary to this position absolutely do not reflect the official stand of the KPCC leadership.
Before the post was swiftly taken down, it had already triggered a massive political row. The BJP launched a scathing attack on the opposition, accusing them of trying to intimidate constitutional authorities. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari labeled the Congress “anarchic,” stating, “This is a big insult to the Constitution of India. Congress is threatening the Chief Justice of India… Congress hates Indian democracy and independent constitutional bodies.”
The legal fraternity also registered strong objections to the political handle’s remarks. Both the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) passed resolutions condemning the post. The legal bodies noted that while citizens have the right to approach the courts, such public outbursts undermine the dignity of the judicial institution and attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.
The controversial tweet was reportedly made in response to the Chief Justice’s recent observations regarding law and order jurisdictions, which came amid protests by INDIA bloc leaders over the Election Commission’s functioning.