The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined the urgent hearing on the plea to declare the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues as ‘unconstitutional’.
The plea against the sit-in by the chief minister would be listed for hearing after the summer vacations, the apex court said, as reported by news agency PTI.
The apex court's statement comes a day after the Kejriwal government was rapped by the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court had asked the AAP government who authorised the sit-in by at the lieutenant governor's office and observed that strikes are usually held outside an establishment or office and not inside.
The observation by a bench of Justices A K Chawla and Navin Chawla came during the hearing of two petitions, one against the sit-in by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal and the other against the alleged strike by the IAS officers of Delhi government. "Who authorised the strike/dharna (sit-in by Kejriwal)? You are sitting inside the LG's office. If it's a strike, it has to be outside the office," the court told lawyers appearing for the Delhi government in the two matters. It further said, " You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there".
Apart from the two petitions, a separate plea was moved by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta against the sit-in by Kejriwal at Lt Governor Anil Baijal's office. The matters are likely to be heard on June 22.
The court said the association representing the IAS officers should also be made a party in the matter.
The condition of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was hospitalised late last night, is stable, a senior doctor today said. Jain, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Lieutenant Governor office for nearly a week, was rushed to the LNJP Hospital after his health deteriorated. However, both ministers were discharged on Tuesday and are likely to resume work.
Meanwhile on Monday, The IAS officers from Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNTCD) has welcomed Kejriwal's appeal to have talks with the government.
"Officers of GNCTD welcome Hon'ble CM's appeal. We reiterate that we continue to be at work with full dedication & vigour. We look forward to concrete interventions for our security & dignity. We are open to formal discussions with Honble CM on this matter," they said in a statement issued on Monday.
On Sunday, Kejriwal had urged IAS Officers Association to stop the boycott of the elected government and return to work, assuring them of safety and security.
Kejriwal's remarks came after Delhi's IAS association officers held an unusual press conference at the Press Club and said that that they would not attend those meetings which they feel would be "unsafe".
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