Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (file photo).
New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court has for the third time rejected Arvind Kejriwal’s plea to be sacked as chief minister following his arrest last month on corruption charges. In an important observation, the bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan said “let democracy take its own course”.
Another bench of the court, which will rule later today on Mr Kejriwal’s plea for interim relief in the matter, also declined to ask Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on forcing the Aam Aadmi Party leader to relinquish his post. supply enquiry. “He (Mr Saxena) does not need our guidance. We have no one to advise him. He will act in accordance with the law,” the high court said.
The court is hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Hindu Sena party seeking a direction to the Lieutenant Governor to direct Mr Kejriwal to resign. Petitioners were told to put national interests ahead of “personal issues” and to “raise the issue in another forum” if they wanted to persist.
Courts rejected similar requests last week and again in January, weeks before Mr Kejriwal’s arrest.
Read | Court rejects plea seeking removal of Chief Minister Kejriwal
Last week, the acting chief justice said removing the sitting chief minister did not fall within the ambit of judicial intervention. “This matter should be examined by other arms of the government in accordance with the law,” the court said. Regarding the previous plea, the bench headed by then Chief Justice Rajendra Menon issued a firm statement stating that “the prosecution is In progress…he may be acquitted”.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the liquor policy scam that had roiled the AAP weeks before the elections. The opposition condemned the arrest of the sitting chief minister and other senior political leaders, including the BJP’s K Kavitha.
Kejriwal’s lawyers on Wednesday raised questions about the timing of the arrest while arguing for interim relief.
“Why is there such urgency? I’m not talking about politics… I’m talking about law,” said senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued that the arrests were made “in the first instance. Overthrow AAP before the vote.”
Read | ‘Prisoners under interrogation have no right…’: Arvind Kejriwal bail hearing
Mr Kejriwal is AAP’s biggest public face and crowd-puller.
The High Court reserved its judgment for this afternoon after hearing rebuttals from Mr Singhvi and the arresting agency (Enforcement Directorate).
Mr. Kejriwal is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi. He has been remanded in custody until April 15.
Alleged Delhi liquor policy scam
The Education Department is probing what it claims is a Rs 600-crore scam involving the now-defunct liquor consumption policy in the national capital. The agency believes that profit margins were arbitrarily modified to cover bribes paid for allotment of liquor sales licenses and the money, amounting to at least Rs 45 crore, was used by the AAP to fund its election campaigns in Goa and Punjab.
NDTV Explained | Why the Enforcement Directorate arrested Arvind Kejriwal
Kejriwal and the AAP have strongly denied all accusations and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of manipulating central agencies such as the Education Department to target and harass rivals ahead of the polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party denied these claims.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases starting from April 19. Results will be announced on June 4.
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