In the Delhi Protest matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today assailed before Supreme Court certain media reports and social media posts claiming that the government has apologized to the Court for its conduct and has nothing to say on it.

The SG submitted before a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the authorities' affidavits, which began by saying that they are tendering unqualified apology, were reported without context. The SG highlighted that whenever a contempt notice is issued, an alleged contemnor is required by law to first tender an unqualified and unconditional apology.

"I want to say something at the outset. Not on merits. I want to say this - your lordships have issued notice in contempt. We have filed responses in contempt. Your lordships' law is well-settled that whenever we file a response in contempt notices, the first sentence we write is that we hereby tender an unconditional apology. Thereafter, we explain how the contempt is not created. It is with reference to compliance with that law that in every affidavit this is the first paragraph. But now everything, in media and social media, the things are going on that government has apologized and that they have nothing to say. I want to clarify that government has defended and the first paragraph is in compliance with what your lordships' law is", the SG said.

Hearing him, the CJI remarked that the court has not seen the news reports referred by the SG. "We are not taking cognizance of any such report", he added.

Justice Bagchi on his part said that the Court is neither taking cognizance of the reports nor of the unqualified apologies. "Because by your [SG's] submissions, you have qualified your apology", the judge commented.

In response, the SG contended that the apology tendered is "unqualified" but thereafter the government has given reasons.