The Delhi High Court on Friday came down heavily on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for not providing textbooks to over two lakh students studying in MCD schools.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said the Delhi government was only interested in appropriation of power and by not resigning despite his arrest on money laundering case, Kejriwal has put personal interest over the national interest.
It noted that the distribution of books and uniforms was not the Court’s job, but it was doing this because someone was failing in their job.
The Bench told the Counsel appearing for Kejriwal that his client was only interested in power. Since they were trying to appropriate power, it was the reason why they were not getting power.
Appearing for the Delhi government, Advocate Shadan Farasat submitted that he received instructions from Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj that in absence of the Standing Committee of MCD, delegating more powers to an appropriate authority would require the consent of the Chief Minister who is presently in custody.
The Bench retorted that the same cannot be an excuse and said that the High Court itself had rejected various petitions seeking directions to remove Arvind Kejriwal as CM.
It said it was their administration’s call since they said that the government will continue despite the Chief Minister being in custody.
The Bench told the Counsel that he was forcing the Court to go down the road which it did not want to go. We have said it so may times in the PILs that came before us.
If the government wanted to comment on it, then the Court will come down with all the rigour, it added.