Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi High Court’s court-room tussle on Thursday ended with Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma recusing herself from the liquor policy case. However, the judge, who initiated contempt proceedings against Kejriwal and other top Aam Aadmi Party leaders after making scorching remarks against them, made it clear that her action shouldn’t be construed as allowing the AAP chief’s plea for recusal.
Justice Sharma said the excise policy case will be heard by another bench, clarifying that since she has initiated contempt proceedings, it is appropriate that the matter be transferred to some other judge.
“For a judge who is being targeted is a very lonely battle…This is not recusal. This is judicial discipline,” Justice Sharma observed.
Kejriwal, one of the prime accused in the liquor policy case, had sought the judge’s recusal because she had allegedly taken part in events linked to the RSS. She refused to do so, asserting that there was no material to substantiate claims of bias.
The AAP chief hadn’t been appearing in the liquor policy case before the Delhi High Court, alleging bias on Justice Sharma’s part.
The judge today ordered contempt proceedings against Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, Vinay Mishra, Devesh Vishwakarma and Saurabh Bhardwaj, saying “extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous, and defamatory material” was being spread online by these leaders, amounting to an attack on the judiciary.
Justice Sharma said that “a parallel narrative was being constructed outside through a digital campaign” by contemnors “armed with political powers”.
“My family members were dragged and vilified with edited videos… It was to intimidate not only me but the institution of the judiciary,” added the judge.