AAP accuses LG of criminal contempt of court
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused LG VK Saxena of perpetrating criminal contempt of court in the recent case regarding voting rights of appointed members of Delhi’s civic body by trying to get his lawyer to argue both sides of the case.
The Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the AAP, after the Delhi Mayor’s election was postponed thrice in over two months. However, Kejriwal made sensational claims of the LG “deceitfully trying to influence the case”. He alleged that the LG tried to “unconstitutionally” influence the case so that the truth doesn’t come out in the court.
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Kejriwal revealed that their mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi had made the Delhi government and the LG parties in the case separately. He said the Delhi government, which has the right to choose any lawyer, asked the Urban Development Secretary to appoint Gautam Narayan. However, on February 9, the secretary stated that the LG has “desired” that the Urban Development Department shall defend this petition on behalf of the office of the LG and engage the services of Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India, to defend the petition.
“This is like my lawyer is mine, but your lawyer is also mine,” Kejriwal remarked, alleging that the LG wanted Mehta to defend all his “wrong acts” in the court by representing both the sides. “Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked the Secretary to appoint Gautam Narayan, but LG directed him to appoint his own lawyer from our side as well,” he said.
“Delhi government and LG had contrary viewpoints on all issues. In the interest of justice and to enable Hon’ble SC to arrive at correct conclusion, it was important that all viewpoints were presented before Hon’ble SC. However, there was an attempt by Hon’ble LG to prevent Delhi government from presenting its views before Hon’ble SC,” Kejriwal said in a letter he wrote to the LG, a copy of which he released to the media.
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The Delhi chief minister further accused the LG of threatening to suspend, and even fire the Urban Development Secretary if he didn’t comply to his orders. “Luckily, the court didn’t need to ask for any clarifications and understood the issue within five minutes. If they had called for the state government, two people would have been standing with different vakalatnama (legal document). What is the LG trying to do?” he added.
“Most actions taken by Hon’ble LG regarding MCD Mayor elections were brazenly illegal and unconstitutional. Was that the reason why Hon’ble LG wanted to prevent the truth being stated before Hon’ble SC? Such action of Hon’ble LG amounts to interference in administration of justice and criminal contempt. It lowers the dignity of the high office of Hon’ble LG, Sir,” Kejriwal’s letter to the LG said.
