Achi news desk-
GUWAHATI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking to allow Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to run the Delhi government from jail, where he is currently accused of money laundering related to the liquor policy.
The PIL comes after the courts dismissed two PILs asking that Kejriwal not be allowed to rule Delhi from jail.
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The plea, filed by advocate Shrikant Prasad, suggests arrangements for Kejriwal to conduct a virtual conference with cabinet ministers to ensure that governance in Delhi continues smoothly.
Furthermore, the PIL seeks to restrain the media from sensationalizing headlines regarding Kejriwal’s potential resignation and imposition of President’s Rule in the national capital. It also calls for action against Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi BJP president, for allegedly organizing protests and exerting undue pressure for Kejriwal’s resignation.
The petitioner claims that Kejriwal’s imprisonment has disrupted governance in Delhi, despite the government’s commendable record in sectors such as education and health in the past seven years.
In addition, the PIL claims that neither the Indian Constitution nor any law prohibits ministers, including the Chief Minister, from governing while in jail. Prasad, who represents the poor and marginalized of Delhi, claims that he is approaching the court on their behalf, and emphasizes the urgency of the matter due to the current government stalemate.
Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, in connection with the liquor policy case, led to the legal action. While his judicial custody ends on April 23, the Delhi High Court recently dismissed his anti-arrest plea, citing sufficient evidence provided by the ED.
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Meanwhile, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also implicated in the case. While Sisodia remained in jail, Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court. The ED alleges that Kejriwal orchestrated the excise scam in Delhi, siphoning off proceeds of crime in excess of Rs 100 crore.
The agency alleges that the excise policy has been manipulated to provide substantial profits to certain private entities, implicating Kejriwal and Sisodia as the mastermind behind the scheme. The matter is currently under adjudication, pending further proceedings in the Supreme Court.
