Ambassador Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a retired diplomat and the wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, had taken legal action against Gokhale for the defamatory tweets.
New Delhi, June 10, 2025 — Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale has issued a formal apology to former Indian diplomat Ambassador Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri for posting defamatory tweets against her in 2021, which he has now admitted were “wrong and unverified”.
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This apology comes after a series of court orders by the Delhi High Court, which had taken serious note of Gokhale’s failure to follow its earlier directions, including payment of Rs 50 lakh in damages and the issuance of a public apology.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gokhale issued an unconditional apology for his past remarks.
He stated:
“I unconditionally apologise for having put out a series of tweets against Amb. Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri on 13th and 23rd June 2021, which tweets contained wrong and unverified allegations in relation to the purchase of property by Ambassador Puri abroad, which I sincerely regret.”
He also mentioned that the tweets dated June 13 and June 23, 2021, made against Lakshmi Puri, were based on incorrect information related to the purchase of property abroad.
Background
Ambassador Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a retired diplomat and the wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, had taken legal action against Gokhale for the defamatory tweets. On July 1, 2024, the Delhi High Court passed a final judgment and decree, directing Saket Gokhale to:
- Pay Rs 50 lakh in damages within eight weeks, and
- Publish a public apology both in a newspaper and on his X (formerly Twitter) account within four weeks.
However, Gokhale did not comply with these directions.
Due to non-compliance, the Delhi High Court, on April 24, 2025, ordered the attachment of Gokhale’s monthly salary of Rs 1,90,000 until the full amount of Rs 50 lakh was recovered.
Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing Lakshmi Puri and briefed by Karanjawala & Company, told the court that another bench had on May 9, 2025, again directed Gokhale to issue the apology within two weeks, as ordered in the earlier decree.
Singh argued that Gokhale had failed to inform the current bench about the May 9 order, had not filed any appeal against it, and most importantly, had not followed it either.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who presided over the execution petition filed by Lakshmi Puri, expressed dissatisfaction over Gokhale’s delay in following the court’s instructions.
The court noted that despite giving additional time, the MP had not honoured either the July 1, 2024, decree or the May 9, 2025, directive.
It was observed that the “Judgment Debtor appeared to be disregarding its directives and judicial process.”
Following arguments from both sides, including submissions by Gokhale’s lawyer Naman Joshi, the court issued a show-cause notice asking Gokhale to explain:
Why he should not be sent to civil imprisonment for violating court orders.
The bench has directed him to file a reply within a week.
CASE TITLE:
LAKSHMI MURDESHWAR PURI v SAKET GOKHALE.
