The Delhi High Court on Monday expressed its displeasure at the ongoing sit-in protest by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and two ministers of his Aam Aadmi Party government at the residence of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. The High Court asked, “Who authorised them to sit on a dharna?”
Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and ministers Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain began their indefinite protest a week ago after Baijal allegedly refused to intervene to end an 'unofficial' strike by IAS officers. Jain, who commenced a hunger strike on June 12, was taken to hospital on Sunday night after his condition deteriorated.
The observation on the sit-in was made by a bench comprising Justices A.K. Chawla and Navin Chawla, which was hearing two separate petitions—one seeking an end to the week-long sit-in protest by the AAP ministers and another seeking directions to IAS officers to end their strike.
The High Court bench told the Delhi government's lawyer, “This can’t be called a strike. You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there.” The High Court asked the Delhi government whether it had obtained permission of the lieutenant governor to hold the protest and sought to know what was the purpose of the sit-in.
Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly BJP MLA Vijender Gupta has also moved a plea against the ongoing sit-in protest.
The High Court is scheduled to hear all three petitions on June 22 and has ordered that the IAS officers' association in Delhi be made a party in the issue.
(With agency inputs)