Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers are observing a 'samuhik upwas' (mass) fasting to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy on Sunday. The Delhi ruling party held an agitation at Jantar Mantar. Top AAP leaders participated in the protests which began at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said, "Ever since Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, there was anger against it in the entire country. From the day of arrest on March 21 to till now, people are on the streets, getting themselves arrested even today, people across the country and the world are observing a mass fast for Kejriwal."
Another Delhi Atishi said the people of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal very much and they consider him not as CM but as their son or brother.
"Everyone wants Arvind Kejriwal to be released soon. BJP's ED and CBI have not been able to show even a single penny of the liquor scam. If there is any money trail in this case then it is from liquor baron Sharat Reddy to BJP. Why was the BJP not raided, or charged, why was the BJP national president not summoned or arrested," she asked.
The AAP asked party workers to post their photos while observing fasts on a website and also post on X.
"Today from 10 AM onwards, the entire nation will observe a fast against the conspiratorial arrest of @ArvindKejriwal ji. Send us your photos and messages while fasting on this website - kejriwalkoaashirvaad.com. Do not forget to tag us with the photos of your fast on Twitter. Dictatorship will lose, democracy will win," the post read.
Former AAP MLA moves HC seeking removal of Kejriwal from CM's post
Meanwhile, former AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar has approached the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of arrested Kejriwal from the post of chief minister of the national capital. The petition is listed for hearing before Justice Subramonium Prasad on Monday.
In his petition, Kumar has said after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy for Delhi, Kejriwal has incurred an "incapacity" to carry out the chief minister's functions under the Constitution.
The plea says the AAP leader's "unavailability" complicates the constitutional mechanism and he can never function as the chief minister from prison according to the mandate of the Constitution.
"Article 239AA(4) of the Constitution provides for the Council of Ministers with the chief minister at the head to aid and advise the lieutenant governor in the exercise of his functions in relation to matters with respect to which the legislative Assembly has power to make laws. The aid and advice to the lieutenant governor are practically not possible without the chief minister being a free person available to render his aid and advice under the Constitution," the petition says.
The high court had earlier rejected two public interest litigation pleas seeking Kejriwal's removal from the chief minister's post.
On April 4, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora refused to entertain a PIL on the issue, saying it was Kejriwal's personal choice to continue as the chief minister.
Earlier, the bench had dismissed a similar PIL, observing that the petitioner had failed to show any legal bar that prohibited the arrested chief minister from holding office.
It had observed that there was no scope for judicial interference in the matter and that it was for the other organs of the State to look into the issue.
