CM not a ceremonial post: Delhi HC on Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi High Court on Monday observed that the chief minister is not a "ceremonial post." The court said that the person in this position should be prepared to address emergencies at any time. This comes days after the court said that CM Arvind Kejriwal continuing in office despite his arrest, amounts to his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) "prioritizing its political interests over national interests."
Why does this story matter?
On March 21, Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Despite his arrest, he has decided to continue serving as the chief minister of Delhi. Notably, he is also the first sitting CM to be arrested by a law enforcement agency.
CM should be available round the clock: HC
The court highlighted that a CM—especially in a city like Delhi—should be virtually accessible round-the-clock to manage crises or natural disasters. The bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Arora, stated that "National interest and public interest demands that no person who holds this post is incommunicado or absent for a long stretch or an uncertain period of time." They dismissed the notion that significant decisions cannot be made during a Model Code of Conduct.
NGO raises concerns over non-supply of educational material
The court's remarks were made during a hearing on a public interest litigation initiated by NGO Social Jurist. The NGO highlighted the non-supply of educational material and other statutory benefits to students in schools run by Delhi's municipal corporation, under the AAP's control. The bench directed the municipal commissioner to incur necessary expenditure for fulfilling these obligations without being constrained by the $5 crore expenditure limit.
Kejriwal's judicial custody extended till May 7
On April 23, a Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Kejriwal till May 7. The Delhi CM will continue to be lodged in Tihar Jail until then. To recall, Kejriwal is awaiting the Supreme Court's verdict on his plea challeging his arrest by the ED in the case. The CM's plea challenging his arrest was heard on April 15 but did not result in immediate relief.
