Editor's Pick | Delhi High Court dismisses plea seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal as CM

The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking the removal of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from his post. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 on charges of corruption and money laundering in Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, who demanded that Centre, Delhi governments and the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor should explain why Mr. Kejriwal is still holding the post of Delhi’s Chief Minister. The High Court rejected the petition, saying that there is no scope for judicial interference. “It is for the other wing of the government to examine the issue in accordance with the law,” a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P. S. Arora said. The petition argued that “sitting in jail the Chief Minister is incapable of transacting any business that the law enjoins upon him”. The plea said that if Mr. Kejriwal continues as the Chief Minister from behind the bars, any material, however secretive in nature, would have to be scanned by prison authorities before it reaches the Chief Minister, thus creating potential threats. “The question we are asking is if there is any prohibition or any bar which prevent him from continuing as a Chief Minister? If there is constitutional failure, the President will act on it. Or the Governor will act on it. We (court) will not act on it,” the court said. Since the arrested AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia from February 2023, and Sanjay Singh from October 2023, are all political opponents of the ruling party, the imprisonment is bound to be seen as selective enforcement of law that can raise questions about India’s democracy. The Hindu’s Editorials Easily provoked: On India’s internal affairs and foreign comments Jobs outlook bleak: On the ‘The India Employment Report 2024’ The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz What is the helpline number launched by the Indian government for assistance and information on the Citizenship Amendment Act? 1091 1915 1032 1098 [logo] Editor's Pick 29 March 2024 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]Open in browser [Mail icon]More newsletters Delhi High Court dismisses plea seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister The [Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected a petition]( seeking the removal of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from his post. [Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate]( (ED) on March 21 on charges of corruption and money laundering in Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, who demanded that Centre, Delhi governments and the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor should explain why Mr. Kejriwal is still holding the post of Delhi’s Chief Minister. The High Court rejected the petition, saying that there is no scope for judicial interference. “It is for the other wing of the government to examine the issue in accordance with the law,” a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P. S. Arora said. The petition argued that “sitting in jail the Chief Minister is incapable of transacting any business that the law enjoins upon him”. The plea said that if Mr. Kejriwal continues as the Chief Minister from behind the bars, any material, however secretive in nature, would have to be scanned by prison authorities before it reaches the Chief Minister, thus creating potential threats. “The question we are asking is if there is any prohibition or any bar which prevent him from continuing as a Chief Minister? If there is constitutional failure, the President will act on it. Or the Governor will act on it. We (court) will not act on it,” the court said. Since the arrested AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia from February 2023, and Sanjay Singh from October 2023, are all political opponents of the ruling party, the imprisonment is bound to be seen as selective enforcement of law that can raise questions about India’s democracy. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Easily provoked: On India’s internal affairs and foreign comments]( [Arrow][Jobs outlook bleak: On the ‘The India Employment Report 2024’]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz What is the helpline number launched by the Indian government for assistance and information on the Citizenship Amendment Act? - 1091 - 1915 - 1032 - 1098 [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[Spotlight | 18 years after India’s biggest jailbreak] Spotlight | 18 years after India’s biggest jailbreak]( [[Congress gets fresh I-T notice of ₹1,823 crore, party calls it tax terrorism] Congress gets fresh I-T notice of ₹1,823 crore, party calls it tax terrorism]( [[Karnataka’s heat and drought wilt vegetable cultivation] Karnataka’s heat and drought wilt vegetable cultivation]( [[PM Modi, Bill Gates’ February meeting touched on AI, climate, health] PM Modi, Bill Gates’ February meeting touched on AI, climate, health]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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