Can't Blow Hot & Cold On Apology For Remarks Against Tamilnadu: Madras High Court To BJP Minister Shobha Karandlaje

Justice G Jayachandran was hearing a petition filed by the Minister to quash the proceedings initiated against her.

“You can't blow hot and cold. Either you want to say something, say by it. Or if you're apologising, mean it. You can't say you want to contest the case on merits but at a later point,” the court remarked orally.

The allegation against Shobha is that in March 2024, after the blasts in Rameshwaram café, she allegedly said, “People trained in Tamil Nadu plant bombs here. Bomb was planted at the hotel.” Following this, one Thiagarajan, a resident of Madurai, lodged a complaint stating that the alleged remark was intended to create enmity and hatred among Tamils and Kannadigas.

In the previous hearing, the Advocate General had informed the court that the State would not oppose quashing of proceedings, if Karandlaje held a press conference and apologised to the people of Tamil Nadu and communicated her highest regard for the people. The AG had also shared a draft apology in this regard.

When the matter was taken up today, Karandlaje's counsel informed the court that she had some reservations about the draft apology shared by the State. When the AG read out the text of the draft apology to the court, Karandlaje's counsel said that she had posted a similar apology much before the FIR was registered.

The court went through this “four line apology” and expressed it's inclination to dismiss Karandlaje's petition. At this point, Karandlaje's counsel requested the court to not dismiss the petition and instead adjourn it as they had engaged a senior counsel.

The court initially reprimanded the counsel and said that Karandlaje could not blow hot and cold to the court and must inform if she was willing to apologise. However, upon a request by the counsel, the court adjourned the case to 23rd August.

Case Title: Shobha Karandlaje v State

Case No: Crl OP (MD) 9875 of 202w