Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged excise policy money laundering case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is refuting any plans to depose Kejriwal from his position. They express their intention to ask permission from the court and continue operating the Chief Minister’s office even from the prison. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court is scheduled to review a public interest litigation (PIL) aiming to remove Arvind Kejriwal from his role as Chief Minister of the Delhi government. Justices Manmohan and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora will hear the case.
Surjit Singh Yadav, represented by lawyer Shashi Ranjan Kumar Singh, submitted the plea after the arrest of Delhi CM, asserting that the retention of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam and money laundering case has diminished the trustworthiness and reputation of the Government of NCT of Delhi among the general populace.
What Does The PIL Imply?
The PIL is based on the statement of Atishi, a Minister in the Government of Delhi, who conducted interviews with the media on March 21 after Kejriwal’s arrest. In these interviews, she asserted that Arvind Kejriwal would not step down from his position and, if required, would continue to govern from the prison. Before the ED’s arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court had declined to issue orders offering temporary safeguards against coercive measures in the case.
The plea asserts that if Kejriwal remains as Chief Minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi, it will disrupt due process of justice, and potentially cause a breakdown of the state’s constitutional machinery.
Kejriwal was apprehended by the ED on March 21 in relation to the Delhi Excise Policy case associated with money laundering. He was then remanded to the ED custody until March 28. On Wednesday the remand was further increased till 3 April. The case involves suspected irregularities and money laundering concerning the formulation and execution of the 2022 Delhi excise policy, which was later annulled.