News Brief
'You Have Placed Your Political Interest At A Higher Pedestal': Delhi High Court Slams Arvind Kejriwal Government
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi High Court has taken a stern stance against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government regarding the issue of non-supply of books to students in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora, expressed strong disapproval of the government's handling of the matter, saying the continuation of Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister even after his arrest puts political interest over national interest.
The court's observations came after the Delhi government counsel said the matter requires certain approvals from Arvind Kejriwal who is in custody in the alleged money laundering case in connection with the 2021 excise policy.
The court stated that till now it has "politely" emphasised that national interest is "supreme" but the present case has highlighted what was "wrong" and it would pass an order in the matter on Monday.
"I am sorry to say you have placed your interest above the interest of the students, the children that are studying. That is very clear and we are going to give that finding that you have placed your political interest at a higher pedestal," the bench said, NDTV reported.
"It is very unfortunate that you have done this. It is wrong and that is what has got highlighted in this matter," it added.
"I don't know how much power you want. The problem is because you are trying to appropriate power, which is why you are not getting power," it said.
It is the personal call of the chief minister if he wants the administration to be "paralysed", the court remarked.
The bench further said the persons who lead have to "carry everyone along" as it cannot be a case of "one man upmanship".
The Delhi government counsel said he was not appearing for the Chief Minister and assured the court that the issue of non-supply of educational material would be resolved if the MCD commissioner makes a formal request for financial approvals even in the absence of the civic body's standing committee.
The proceedings were part of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Social Jurist, represented by advocate Ashok Agarwal, highlighting the persistent issues faced by students in MCD schools, including the lack of educational materials and facilities.
