'Poor joke': Rekha Gupta on Arvind Kejriwal's 'satyagrah' vow against Delhi high court judge

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday targeted her predecessor, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, for his “satyagraha” vow against Delhi high court judge Swarna Kanta Sharma, who is hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) review petition against him and others after they were discharged by a trial court in the liquor policy case. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta (R) hit out at former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI File photos)Kejriwal wrote a letter to Justice Sharma after her refusal to step off the case, saying he won't appear before her, either in person or through a lawyer, and termed his stance as “satyagraha” or the spirit of non-cooperation, citing Mahatma Gandhi's ideals. Gupta termed Kejriwal’s stance a “poor joke”. Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, CM Gupta asked if the allegations levelled against justice Sharma benefited Kejriwal. “Kejriwal saheb is one of those people who say that ‘we are the lawyers too, we are the witnesses too, and we are the judges too’. Then what's the need for this justice system? The way he is behaving, saying 'I won't go to court'… The accusations he levelled against a judge, the questions he raised — is this befitting of you?” she said. She called him a “a culprit, a criminal entangled in the liquor scam, with such a massive charge sheet against him", though charges were not found worthy of a trial by the lower court. Arvind Kejriwal has written to Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, stating that he will not appear in the excise policy case either in person or through legal representation. In his letter, Kejriwal said, "My hope of getting justice from Justice Swarana Kanta has been broken." He added that in response, he has decided to adopt a path of protest inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, writing, "Therefore, I have decided to follow Mahatma Gandhi's path of Satyagraha." The AAP leader further said the move was a personal one, taken after reflection. "I have made the decision by listening to the voice of my conscience," he wrote. The development comes after the Delhi high court rejected a plea filed by Arvind Kejriwal seeking the recusal of Justice Sharma from hearing the excise policy case. In his petition, the AAP chief raised concerns about a perceived conflict of interest, citing the empanelment of the judge’s children as Central government counsel. He argued that the situation gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias. The plea by Arvind Kejriwal was rooted in allegations of a perceived bias. He had argued that Justice Sharma’s participation in events organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad (ABAP) — which he claimed is aligned with a particular ideology opposed to the Aam Aadmi Party — raised concerns over impartiality. Dismissing the recusal pleas, Justice Sharma made it clear that a litigant’s perception alone cannot be grounds for a judge to step aside. As reported by HT earlier, the Judge said that the “mere apprehension” that one may not get relief from a court is not sufficient to seek recusal. In a strongly worded order, she cautioned that stepping aside under such circumstances would send the wrong signal. “If this court were to recuse, it would be an act of surrender and a signal that institutions, including judges and the court, can be bent, shaken and changed. Applications seeking recusal are rejected,” she ruled. “Judges are bound by the discipline of their office… Today it is this court; tomorrow it will be another court,” Sharma added. Sharma also addressed the nature of the allegations placed before her, saying the recusal file “did not arrive with evidence, but it arrived on my table with aspersions, insinuations and doubts cast on my integrity.”