Attorney General K K Venugopal declines nod for contempt against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh

Attorney General K K Venugopal has refused to grant consent to initiate criminal contempt of court proceedings against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for his tweets purportedly against the judiciary.

The top law officer said, though the "statements are wholly uncalled for, they don't merit action for criminal contempt".

A Delhi-based advocate Sumant Sudan sought a nod from the Attorney General to sue the leader for his tweets related to the Yogi Adityanath government's decision to set up special security force.

Singh had then asked whether the court would declare such a force as unconstitutional or act under pressure from the government.

The lawyer had claimed that the tweets constituted as serious scandalous allegations upon the dignity and sanctity of the Supreme Court and its judgements and had the potential to shake the faith of the country in the justice delivery system.

Under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, a consent from the Attorney General or the Solicitor General was required for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against anyone.