Public Interest Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan has recently found himself mired in controversy over comments that the Supreme Court deemed was tantamount to contempt of court. The tweets, pertained to Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde and his predecessors.
The first of Bhushan's tweets pertained to a photo of Justice Bobde perched atop a Harley Davidson Limited edition CVO 2020. In the second, he weighed in on the role of the last four CJIs when it came to the state of affairs in the country and seemed to draw a parallel with the Emergency period.
Following the initial verdict countless lawyers, politicians and other officials have criticised the situation. While some have held silent protests, others, including former High Court Chief Justices have written to the CJI over the same. The quantum of punishment has not yet been announced as Bhushan was given time till August 24 to render an unconditional apology.
The lawyer however remains firmly behind his comments -- something that has drawn praise and comparisons to others who had dared to stand up to the system.
Bhushan however does not quite agree. And on Friday, he took to Twitter to set the record straight.
"Due to my refusal to apologise for my tweets and for quoting from Gandhi, some people have started comparing me with Gandhi and Mandela. This is misplaced. They became great due to long struggle and sacrifice. I have done nothing comparable. My courage is due to the support of countless people," he tweeted.
The post has garnered approval from several quarters with many including actor Swara Bhasker applauding his comments.
