Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar Jail: Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody for 15 days on Monday in the excise policy scam. After this, AAP party leader Atishi Marlena has made serious allegations against BJP while holding a press conference.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Cabinet Minister Atishi said that now the ED is preparing to arrest four more AAP leaders.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody till April 15 by the Rouse Avenue Court on Monday in the excise policy case. This has intensified the discussion about who will replace him.
At the same time, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have claimed that Arvind Kejriwal will continue to lead the government, no matter how long he has to stay in jail.
Sources said that Sunita Kejriwal, wife of AAP’s national convenor, is likely to play an important role in the coming days. She started her political innings with the ‘Save Democracy’ rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. In view of the Lok Sabha elections, other party leaders including Cabinet Ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP’s Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai are also likely to play a ‘more active’ role.
Experts say that although Kejriwal’s absence will not immediately affect the governance in Delhi, challenges may arise when the model code of conduct is lifted after the Lok Sabha elections. Former Delhi Chief Secretary P.K. Tripathi said that the Chief Minister is the head of the newly formed National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), which looks after matters related to the transfer and deployment of bureaucrats in the city government, and he also presides over cabinet meetings. He said, “Though there is no problem in the law, the jail rules will create problems as he (Kejriwal) can meet only a specific number of people within a stipulated period.”
Arvind Kejriwal does not have any department
Sources said that since Arvind Kejriwal does not have any department as the Chief Minister of Delhi, the regular work of any department is unlikely to be affected in the short term. A senior Delhi government official claimed that the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct does not mean that the work of governance will stop. Several important agendas of the NCCSA are pending, including the appointment and transfer of medical directors and superintendents of government hospitals.
The official said, “The Chief Minister has the right to take decisions on important issues related to governance and policies on behalf of the Constitution. How the Chief Minister of Delhi will deal with these while being in jail will be a matter to be seen. There is nothing like working from jail as it has a limit on the number of persons who can meet a prisoner and the time given for this.”
Arvind Kejriwal will remain CM – Jasmine Shah
At a press conference on Monday, AAP leader Jasmine Shah said that Kejriwal will remain the Chief Minister no matter how long he is kept in jail because he has taken a constitutional oath to serve the people of Delhi. He said, “There has been no hearing till now, leave alone punishment. This is his (Arvind Kejriwal’s) constitutional right and duty because the Chief Minister has taken a constitutional oath to serve the people of Delhi.”