At a recent press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi raised concerns about a potential plot by the Central government to impose President's rule in Delhi, aiming to overthrow the elected government led by Arvind Kejriwal. She pointed to a halt in bureaucrats attending meetings as evidence of this alleged scheme. Atishi also linked Kejriwal's current judicial custody, amidst money laundering accusations, as part of this supposed conspiracy. However, the Delhi High Court dismissed petitions seeking Kejriwal's removal, stating it lacks authority to declare a breakdown of constitutional machinery.
According to Atishi, the refusal of Delhi government officers to attend meetings signals a larger plan to destabilize Kejriwal's government. She emphasized the absence of senior IAS officers in Delhi and cited bureaucrats citing the Moral Code of Conduct as reasons for not participating in government meetings.
Warning the BJP against such actions, Atishi stated that imposing President's rule in Delhi would be illegal, unconstitutional, and contrary to the people's mandate. She stressed that the citizens of Delhi have clearly chosen Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Kejriwal's recent judicial custody stems from ongoing investigations into alleged money laundering related to the Delhi Excise Policy case. The AAP has denounced these investigations as part of a conspiracy by the Narendra Modi-led Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Opposition parties have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of leveraging investigative agencies to weaken them. However, petitions seeking Kejriwal's removal as Chief Minister were dismissed by the Delhi High Court.
During the court proceedings, the bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, admonished a former AAP MLA, Sandeep Kumar, who filed one of the petitions, for dragging the court into political matters. The court fined him Rs 50,000 and clarified that it cannot impose governor's rule in the capital, citing a lack of authority to declare a breakdown of constitutional machinery in Delhi.
As per the Indian Constitution, President's Rule can be imposed in certain situations, but the current circumstances in Delhi remain subject to legal and constitutional interpretation.
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