The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has issued an unconditional apology over a social media post demanding the resignation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. State Congress president Sunny Joseph said the post was published without the approval of the party leadership and that the person responsible had been removed from the position.
In its response to a legal notice sent by an office-bearer of the Supreme Court Bar Association, the KPCC said the controversial remarks did not represent the party’s official position. The Congress described the language used in the post as inappropriate and reiterated its respect for the judiciary.
The controversy began on October 12, 2026, when a message concerning Chief Justice Surya Kant was published on the official X account of the Kerala Congress. The post questioned his remarks on law and order and called for his resignation. It also suggested bringing in another person in his place.
The remarks drew sharp reactions on social media. The post was subsequently deleted following objections from political parties and legal organisations. However, its removal did not end the controversy, and the party leadership faced demands for an explanation.
In its response to the legal notice, Kerala Congress president Sunny Joseph said the controversial post had been published by Vijay Thottathil. According to Joseph, neither the party president nor other senior leaders had authorised its publication.
Joseph clarified that the Congress leadership had neither called for the Chief Justice's resignation nor suggested replacing him with another person.
The party has removed the individual concerned from his position and asked him to issue a public apology. The state Congress president also acknowledged that the absence of authorisation did not justify the language used in the post.
Manish Dubey, joint secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association and an advocate, had sent a legal notice to the Kerala Congress president over the matter. The notice sought details about who had written the controversial post, whose approval had been obtained before publication and what action had been taken against the person responsible.
The notice also demanded a public apology. In response, the Congress leadership submitted a written reply, stating that the remarks had been withdrawn and an apology issued.
The Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association had also criticised the remarks on October 12. Both organisations emphasised the need to preserve the independence and dignity of the judiciary.
The controversy arose while leaders of the opposition INDIA alliance were protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Questions had also been raised over opposition leaders' demand for a meeting with the Chief Justice and restrictions imposed during a protest in Delhi. The Kerala Congress account published the controversial remarks amid these developments.
The Congress central leadership also distanced itself from the post. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, portrayed the remarks as a political attack on the judiciary. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress was targeting constitutional institutions.
The Kerala Congress has acknowledged shortcomings in the operation and monitoring of its social media account. The party will examine the roles of those involved in preparing and publishing the post. It will also review account access, the approval process for posts and relevant digital records.
The party has said that the relevant electronic records will be preserved.
The Congress maintained that the right to express political disagreement does not remove the responsibility to respect the dignity of constitutional offices in public statements. Through its apology and internal action, the party has set out its position on the controversy.
