Despite pleas to hold an urgent hearing, the Supreme Court has put its foot down and said it would not intervene in the Delhi High Court's case relating to Kejriwal's sit-in protest.
A PIL was filed by advocate Hari Nath Ram, who challenged Kejriwal's protest by saying politicians were not above the law. He asked the Delhi High Court to hear the matter expeditiously since the protest was crippling the administration. However, the High Court said it would hear the case only on June 22.
Unsatisfied, Ram approached the Supreme Court asking them to direct the Delhi HC in the matter, with the vacation bench comprising of Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Indu Malhotra saying that the matter would be heard on an opening day after the summer break.
Lawyer Shashank Deo Sudhi, representing Ram in the case referred to earlier court verdicts which termed the strikes as illegal. The PIL has asked for perjury proceedings be initiated against the Lt. Governor and the Chief Minister for making conflicting claims on the strike by bureaucrats serving in the Delhi government.
Kejriwal along with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Transport Minister Gopal Rai have been camping at the Raj Niwas, the official residence-cum-office of Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, since June 11.
During Monday's hearing, the High Court questioned the AAP government regarding the decision of Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues to hold a sit-in protest at the Lt. Governor's office-residence. The bench had said the protesters cannot go inside someone's office or house and hold a protest.
The High Court has been hearing three separate petitions related to Kejriwal's sit-in protest. One petition was filed by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta seeking direction to Kejriwal to return to work.
Another petition was filed by Hari Nath Ram through his advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi seeking to declare the sit-in protest as unconstitutional and illegal. The third plea was filed by advocate Umesh Gupta who sought to end the alleged 'informal strike' by the IAS officers.
[With inputs from IANS]
