Kerala Congress Regrets Controversial Post Targeting Chief Justice Surya Kant Amid Growing Criticism
Kerala Congress Apologises Over Controversial Judicial Post
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has tendered an unconditional apology to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant over a controversial post published on the official X account of the Congress party’s Kerala unit. In its response to a legal notice, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the post was published without the knowledge, approval or consultation of the state leadership and did not represent the party’s official position. The committee expressed regret over the language used in the message, which demanded the Chief Justice’s resignation and suggested that a replacement could be found. Joseph reaffirmed the party’s respect for the Constitution, judicial independence and the constitutional office of the Chief Justice of India. The apology was issued after questions were raised about the party’s responsibility for statements published through its verified social media account.
The controversy began on October 12, when the Congress Kerala account published a message directed at Justice Surya Kant. The post stated that if law and order did not fall within his domain, he should resign and the party would find a replacement capable of handling the matter. The message was subsequently deleted after attracting criticism. According to the party’s explanation, Vijay Thottathil was responsible for publishing the post without authorisation from the KPCC leadership. Joseph said the party had neither approved the demand for the Chief Justice’s resignation nor authorised the suggestion that he be replaced. The state leadership described the language as inappropriate and said it should not have appeared on an official party platform.
The post was published amid political tensions surrounding the INDIA bloc’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders had been demanding Kumar’s resignation and had sought to raise their concerns before the Supreme Court. The controversy intensified after the Congress Kerala account reacted to remarks attributed to the Chief Justice concerning law-and-order issues and the limits of his role in addressing them. The post shifted attention from the opposition’s campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner to the language used by the Congress unit against the head of the judiciary. The party subsequently sought to distance itself from the remarks, maintaining that they did not reflect the views or authorised position of either the KPCC or the Indian National Congress.
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The apology followed a legal notice issued by Meenesh Dubey, joint secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, seeking an explanation from Joseph over the absence of an explicit public apology and the action taken against the person responsible. The notice raised questions about the publication of the message through the party’s official account and sought details about who had drafted, published or approved it. It also questioned whether removing the person responsible from the position was sufficient to address the concerns arising from the post. The notice called for accountability and sought a formal response from the state Congress leadership. It also referred to the importance of maintaining respect for constitutional institutions while exercising the right to political expression.
In his reply, Joseph said Thottathil had been removed from his position in connection with the party’s media operations and directed to issue a public apology. The KPCC president clarified that the apology to the Chief Justice was being tendered separately on behalf of the committee. He said the absence of prior authorisation explained how the post had been published but did not justify the language used. The party also disapproved of and withdrew the statements contained in the message. Joseph maintained that neither he nor the state leadership had directed, approved or endorsed the demand for the Chief Justice’s resignation. The committee reiterated that political disagreement could not justify language that conveyed disrespect towards the office of the Chief Justice of India.
The KPCC also acknowledged shortcomings in the oversight of its digital communications and said it would review the procedures governing access to its official social media accounts. The proposed examination would cover how posts are drafted, reviewed and published, the authority given to account operators and the approval process for official communications. The party said the involvement of an external professional agency in managing digital communications did not remove the need for effective supervision by its leadership. It also undertook to preserve relevant electronic records, account-access logs, approval documents and internal communications that could be required for a lawful inquiry. The committee said its clarification and apology would be communicated through the relevant official platform, while reiterating its commitment to judicial independence and the dignity of constitutional institutions.
