'Government at a standstill' after Arvind Kejriwal arrest, says Delhi High Court

A Chief Minister's post in a buzzing capital like Delhi is not ceremonial and it is a post where the office holder has to be available 24/7. Kejriwal's absence cannot deprive children of their free textbooks, writing material, and uniforms, the court observed.

However, the AAP said Kejriwal will remain the chief minister of Delhi. "Kejriwal was the chief minister, is the chief minister, and will continue to be the chief minister of Delhi," said senior leader Sanjay Singh.

The High Court has, however, dismissed three petitions demanding the removal of Kejriwal as Chief Minister.

"National interest and public interest demands that no person who holds this post is incommunicado or absent for a long stretch or for an uncertain period of time," said the bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora.

The court held that the admission of Delhi's Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj that any increase in the financial power of the MCD commissioner shall require the approval of Kejriwal.

This is the reason, according to the court, amounts to an admission that "Delhi government has come to a standstill" after the Chief Minister's arrest.

The plea maintained that nearly two lakh students lacked basic amenities at the beginning of the academic year due to administrative hurdles.

During the hearing on April 26, the High Court came down heavily on Kejriwal, the Delhi government and the civic body for their failure to provide textbooks.

Kejriwal's insistence on holding the post even after his arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case puts political interest over national interest, the judges had said.