Suspended CSK doctor tenders unconditional apology for Galwan post
New Delhi: Suspended Chennai Super Kings team doctor Madhu Thottappillil on Thursday tendered an unconditional apology for his controversial social media post mocking the government after the death of Indian soldiers in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.
On Tuesday, after reports came in of Indian casualties during the Galwan Valley clash, Thottappillil had posted a tweet mocking the government. He later deleted it and protected his account. He was subsequently suspended by the franchise.
Thottappillil took to twitter on Thursday and offered an apology.
"On June 16th, I had put out a tweet, and after I realised that the words used by me was inappropriate and unintended. I deleted the same.But by then there were screenshots of my tweet being circulated and shared in social media," the doctor stated in his apology note.
Thottappillil clarified that he had no intention to belittle PM Narendra Modi's efforts in fighting the crisis.
"It was never my intention to belittle the great & herculean efforts taken by our Honb'le prime minister and the Govt in taking care of all the citizens obligations of this great nation and its Army or our brave Martyrs.
"I have always respected the efforts of the govt in its valiant war on Covid-19 pandemic armed forces and valour of the armed forces standing and fighting under adverse conditions."
Thottappillil said he understands that his post may have hurt sentiments of thousands of people.
"I regret the hurt and anguish I may have caused to many people who read my Tweet and wholeheartedly apologise for the same," he wrote.
"I have tweeted inadvertently and mistakenly and it has nothing to do with my association with any individual or organisation." Thottappillil urged netizens to treat his social media post as an aberration.
"I am aware of the care bestowed by the Honb'le prime minister taken for the martyred jawans who had laid their lives for the country, without whom we the citizens would not be having a secured life," CSK team doctor for 10 seasons said.
"I hope the whole issue is put to an end and the tweet be treated as an aberration on my part. I once again express my sincere apologies for the unintended and inadvertent remarks made in my earlier tweet," he concluded.
CSK, captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni who holds the rank of an honorary lieutenant in Territorial Army, announced his suspension on Wednesday. The team is owned by former BCCI President N Srinivasan's India Cements.
A colonel was among the 20 Army personnel killed in the face-off on Monday night, the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La.
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Justice Sanjiv Khanna appointed next CJI, oath on Nov 11
New Delhi, Oct 24: Justice Sanjiv Khanna was on Thursday appointed the 51st Chief Justice of India.
He will take oath on November 11, a day after incumbent Justice D Y Chandrachud demits office on attaining the age of 65.
Justice Chandrachud took over as the CJI on November 8, 2022.
Justice Khanna will have a tenure of a little over six months as CJI and would demit office on May 13, 2025.
"In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President, after consultation with Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th November, 2024," Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted on X.
Justice Khanna was appointed an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and was made a permanent judge in 2006. On January 18, 2019, he was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Born on May 14, 1960, he studied law at the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University.
Some of the notable judgments of Justice Khanna in the Supreme Court include upholding the use of electronic voting machines in elections, saying the devices were secure and eliminated booth capturing and bogus voting.
He was also part of the five-judge bench that declared the electoral bond scheme, meant for funding of political parties, as unconstitutional.
Justice Khanna was a part of the five-judge bench, which upheld the Centre's 2019 decision abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution which granted a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Justice Khanna, who is the senior-most judge after the outgoing CJI, and the executive chairman of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA), had granted interim bail to the then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, an accused in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam cases, for campaigning in Lok Sabha elections.
He is the nephew of former apex court judge H R Khanna, who was part of the landmark verdict propounding the basic structure doctrine in Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973.
The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years, while high court judges demit office at the age of 62 years.
The Centre recently asked CJI Chandrachud to name his successor.
According to the memorandum of procedure (MoP) -- a set of documents guiding appointment, elevation and transfer of high court and Supreme Court judges -- the law minister writes to the CJI to name his or her successor.
Law Minister Meghwal had written to CJI Chandrachud asking him to name his successor.
The MoP says the senior-most judge of the apex court is considered fit to hold the office of the CJI and the views of the outgoing head of the judiciary have to be sought "at an appropriate time".
The MoP, however, does not specify the time limit for the initiation of the process of recommending the name of the successor CJI.
In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President, after consultation with Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th…
— Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) October 24, 2024
