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.
The court told the Delhi government lawyer that his client is "just interested in appropriation of power".
"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.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
