The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Tuesday apologised to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant over a controversial post published on the official X account of the Kerala Congress unit. The apology was submitted in response to a legal notice issued by a Supreme Court lawyer, with the state Congress leadership maintaining that the post was unauthorised and did not reflect the party’s official position.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph, who is also Kerala’s Power Minister, stated in his reply that the post had been published without approval. He said the individual responsible for the post had been removed from the position, distancing the party leadership from the controversial remarks.
According to the reply, the post was published by Vijay Thottathil. The controversy erupted after the Kerala Congress unit’s official X handle carried remarks targeting the Chief Justice during a protest organised by the INDIA bloc.
The opposition alliance had organised a march to the Supreme Court as part of its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. However, the social media post drew attention away from the protest’s stated objective and triggered a separate political and legal controversy.
The post expressed displeasure over the reported position of the Chief Justice that he could not meet INDIA bloc leaders due to legal considerations. It included the provocative statement: “Surya Kant, resign. We will find a replacement for you.”
The remarks attracted criticism because they were directed at the head of India’s judiciary. The Kerala Congress unit subsequently withdrew the post, while the KPCC president’s response to the legal notice sought to clarify the party’s position and express regret over the incident.
By describing the post as unauthorised and confirming action against the person responsible, the state Congress leadership has sought to establish that the remarks were not an official party statement.
The episode unfolded amid the INDIA bloc’s campaign seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The controversy over the post, however, shifted public attention towards the conduct of the Kerala Congress unit and its use of social media.
The KPCC’s reply has now formally placed on record its apology to Chief Justice Surya Kant and its assertion that the controversial remarks were published without authorisation.
