HC refuses to entertain plea seeking removal of Kejriwal as CM

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 4 April refuses to entertain a PIL seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

The high court said at times, personal interest has to be subordinate to national interest.

"At times, personal interest has to be subordinate to national interest but that is his personal call. We are a court of law and have to go by the law. Your remedy does not lie here, it lies elsewhere. You go before the competent forum," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said.

The bench said it has recently dismissed a similar PIL seeking removal of Kejriwal from the post of chief minister and thus, it cannot take a different view.

As the court refused to interfere in the issue, petitioner Vishnu Gupta's lawyer said he has instructions to withdraw the petition and that he will approach the Lieutenant Governor with his plea.

The court disposed of the plea while allowing the petitioner to withdraw the petition.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal has sent a message from Tihar jail asking all AAP MLAs to visit their constituencies daily and ensure that people do not face any problems, his wife Sunita Kejriwal said on Thursday, 4 April.

In a digital briefing, she said Arvind Kejriwal, in his message, said even though he was in jail, the two crore people of Delhi, who are his family, should not face any problems.

"We need to solve their problems apart from official work," Sunita Kejriwal said delivering the Delhi chief minister's message.

The chief minister, arrested in a money laundering case linked to now scrapped excise policy of his government, is in judicial custody till 15 April.