T’puram: The joint secretary of the Supreme Court bar association has issued a legal notice to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph over a controversial social media post targeting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, warning that failure to issue a public apology within seven days could invite criminal contempt of court proceedings.The notice demands a reply and a public apology within the stipulated period, failing which criminal contempt proceedings may be initiated.The controversy erupted after a post appeared on the official X handle of the Congress’s state unit during an INDIA bloc march to Supreme Court demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.The post expressed anger over the chief justice’s reported refusal to meet INDIA bloc leaders, citing legal constraints. The message included the controversial remark, “Surya Kant, if law and order is not your domain, resign. We will find your replacement who can handle it.”The legal notice has urged Joseph to disclose the name and designation of the person who authored and published the “impugned” tweet and identify the person or persons who approved or authorised its publication. It further says that the party’s national brass has distanced itself from the statement. Hence the notice asks why the state brass was not ready to express a public apology to the chief justice.Joseph had clarified that the post was published without the knowledge, approval or consultation of the party brass. He said the person responsible had been removed from the position and that the party would examine the circumstances that led to the publication.The latest legal notice from the Supreme Court bar association has added another dimension to the controversy, with the KPCC now facing a demand for a public apology within seven days to avoid possible criminal contempt proceedings.
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