Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressing a mid-poll presser explained why he apologised before the Supreme Court after attributing his “chowkidar chor hai” remark to the court and said it was only because the matter was sub judice.

“I apologised to the Supreme Court as the matter is sub judice. Any comment on the matter was unwarranted. Neither have I apologised to the PM nor the BJP,” he asserted strongly.

“Also chor comment now reverberates throughout the country. The remark stands. Anywhere you go and prompt ‘chowkidar’ people will get back with ‘chor hai’,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi was pulled up by the Supreme Court for “incorrectly attributing” a remark on the Rafale order to it.

Rahul Gandhi will file a fresh affidavit with an apology by May 6.

Gandhi, while welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to examine fresh revelations on the Rafale deal on 10 April, claimed a moral victory and said that the court has made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “committed theft”.

Gandhi in the presser also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disrespecting the country’s armed forces by comparing surgical strikes to video games.

“The Army, Air Force and Navy are not personal properties of Narendra Modi ji like he thinks. When he says that surgical strikes during UPA were done in video games, then he is not insulting Congress but the Army,” he said.

Gandhi also quoted General Vikram Singh who said the UPA government had carried out six surgical strikes between 2008 and 2014 and also gave out the dates of the surgical strikes.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks come a day after the PM Modi said that the party that questioned the surgical strikes is now saying “me too, me too”. The PM also said bitingly that “it is no video game”.

Pointing fingers at the BJP for being the one who allowed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar to return to Pakistan and carry out terror activities over the years, Gandhi further asserted that his party will deal with terrorism sternly and strictly.

“Strictest of actions should be taken against Masood Azhar, but who sent him back to Pakistan? Who bowed down to terror and released him? Not the Congress, but it was the BJP government,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi further hit out at PM Modi over the issue of unemployment.

On BJP president Amit Shah’s allegation that Rahul Gandhi’s former business partner got defence offset contract during UPA rule, the Congress chief said he was ready to face any investigation.

Rahul Gandhi further said that the Congress party has “demolished Narendra Modi – a hollow structure that will come crumbling down in 10- 20 days”.