Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju today apologised on Facebook for his alleged derogatory remarks about Odisha and its people after an outcry against it.
“I said I had written my post in a lighter vein. However, if Odia people are feeling hurt I apologise. I had no intention to hurt their feelings, and was only joking, just as I had joked about Biharis, Tamilians, etc..,” Katju wrote in his latest post in the social network.
Katju said, “When I went to Odisha, where I have been many times, I marvelled at the sight of the Konarak and Lingaraj temples.”
In an earlier post, Katju had written, “What is there to write about these (Odiya) poor chaps? Ever since they got a thrashing at the hands of Ashoka in the battle of Kalinga, they have been a dejected lot. Now all they have with them are a lot of pots (Patras), big pots (Mahapatras) and supposedly intelligent kings (Patnaiks).”
This has come after the former SC judge was booked on sedition charge following a complaint by a JD(U) MLC againt his online post that Kashmir should be offered to Pakistan on the condition that it takes Bihar too.
Another complaint was also filed today in the district court against Katju, who hit back at chief minister Nitish Kumar for his critical remarks and churned out more taunting posts.
Katju has been booked under 124-A (sedition) and other sections of IPC, according to SHO of Shashtrinagar police station Birendra Pratap.