Delhi HC to AAP : Who authorised dharna inside someone’s office?

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday disapproved of the sit-in by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at Raj Niwas and asked the

AAP government

to explain how strikes or dharnas can take place “inside someone’s office or house”.

“How do you call it a dharna? Or a strike. Who authorised it?” a bench of Justices A K Chawla and Navin Chawla asked even as it made the IAS association a party to the petitions it is hearing on the latest face-off between the CM and lieutenant governor Anil Baijal.

“You are sitting inside the LG’s office. If it’s a strike, it has to be outside the office. You cannot hold a strike inside someone’s office or residence,” the court re-iterated while listing the matter for June 22.

Last week, two lawyers Umesh Gupta and Hari Nath Ram moved court seeking its intervention. While Gupta has sought a direction to the LG to ensure that the alleged “informal strike” by the IAS officers of Delhi is called off, Ram’s petition wants a declaration from the court to the effect that the sit-in by Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, health minister Satyendar Jain and labour minister Gopal Rai is unconstitutional.

Opposition leader Vijender Gupta, along with rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra, also moved the high court on Monday against Kejriwal’s protest.

When HC asked the government counsel in what capacity Kejriwal and others went to Raj Niwas, senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog said they had taken the decision in their individual capacity and were empowered to do so under the Constitution. The counsel urged the court to instruct the IAS officers to attend routine departmental meetings held by the ministers. He said an association representing the bureaucrats had admitted at a press conference on Sunday that they were not attending routine meetings.

But additional solicitor general Aman Lekhi and standing counsel Naushad Ahmed, appearing on behalf of the LG and the chief secretary, said no

IAS officer

was on strike and urged the bench to direct Kejriwal and the others to vacate Raj Niwas.

The sit-in is on since June 11 urging the LG to end the IAS officers’ “strike” and take action against those refusing to attend meetings convened by the ministers or take their calls.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.