FIR against Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje can be quashed if she calls for a press conference and apologises, A-G tells Madras High Court

Tamil Nadu Advocate General offers to quash FIR against Union Minister if she apologizes in press conference.

Tamil Nadu Advocate General P.S. Raman on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje, for having claimed that the bombers in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast at Bengaluru were trained in Tamil Nadu, can be quashed if she calls for a press conference and tenders an apology.

Appearing before Justice G. Jayachandran, who had during the last hearing asked the A-G to find out whether the State would want to prosecute the Minister even if she apologises for the remarks, Mr. Raman said: “I have got clearance from the highest level that if the petitioner convenes a press conference and tenders apology, Your Lordship may close the matter.”

The A-G also submitted a draft apology prepared by him and it read: “I sincerely apologise for the comments I made about the people of Tamil Nadu during my speech at the press meet on March 19, 2024 on the bombing incident at Bengaluru. I understand that they were inappropriate and is contrary to my respect for the diversity and richness of all cultures, particularly the people of Tamil Nadu.

“I have taken time to reflect on the impact of my words and I tender an apology to the people of Tamil Nadu for any hurt that they may have felt. I will ensure that such statements are not repeated.” After asking the petitioner’s counsel to receive a copy of the draft, the judge granted time till August 16 for the Minister’s counsel to find out whether she would be agreeable to tender such an apology.

Though the Minister’s counsel submitted that she had already expressed regret for the remarks on her X (formerly Twitter) handle, the judge said, it wouldn’t suffice because not many people, including himself, were on X. Since the damage had been caused through media interaction, the apology should also be made through the same channel, he insisted.

The judge also refused to accept the counsel’s submission that the Minister could be permitted to file an affidavit in the court, tendering her apology, instead of calling a press meet to do so. He said it was a serious issue which had political implications besides dealing with the sentiments of the people. Therefore, it would only be appropriate to apologise through a press conference, he said.

When the contention of the Minister’s counsel that one of the accused arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in connection with the blast, was indeed from Tamil Nadu, the A-G retorted: “The NIA had made that arrest on the basis of the information provided by the Tamil Nadu police. It was the Tamil Nadu police which furnished that information to NIA.”