Delhi High Court Rejects Plea To Remove Kejriwal As Chief Minister After ED Arrest

The Delhi High Court rejected a third petition seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Delhi Chief Minister after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case. The court stated that while personal interest should sometimes be subordinated to national interest, it is ultimately Kejriwal's personal decision.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora declined to entertain the plea, noting that a similar PIL had been rejected earlier. The court emphasized that there is no legal bar on a person continuing as Chief Minister while in jail, and that the decision lies with the executive, specifically the Lieutenant Governor and the President.

Vishnu Gupta, president of the Hindu Sena organization, had filed the plea, and the court directed him to approach the Lieutenant Governor with his request. ACJ Manmohan emphasized that the high court must allow democracy to proceed naturally, stating that the LG is fully empowered to make decisions regarding the functioning of the government.

The court also stated that it would not intervene in the matter, and that the petitioners could seek redress from the President of India or the LG. Gupta's counsel argued that Kejriwal had breached constitutional trust and had no right to continue as Chief Minister.

In a separate development, another bench of the high court reserved its verdict on Kejriwal's challenge to his arrest by the ED, with the verdict expected to be announced soon.