NEW DELHI, APRIL 27 — Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal has declared a formal boycott of the Delhi High Court proceedings regarding the excise policy case, stating he will no longer appear before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. In a detailed letter addressed to the court on Monday, the former Delhi Chief Minister affirmed that his expectation of receiving a fair hearing has been destroyed, prompting him to adopt a path of “Satyagraha” inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.
Kejriwal’s decision follows the court’s April 20 refusal to grant his plea for Justice Sharma’s recusal from the case. The AAP leader maintained that a conflict of interest exists because the judge’s children serve as panel lawyers for the central government, which oversees the CBI—the prosecuting agency in this matter. He stated that the high volume of cases assigned to the judge’s family members by the Union government creates a “reasonable apprehension of bias.”
“I have taken this decision by heeding the voice of my conscience,” Kejriwal declared in the letter. He asserted that while he maintains deep respect for the judiciary, he cannot participate in a process where he believes the outcome is “foretold” due to external circumstances. He stated that he would no longer engage with the court either in person or through his legal counsel, though he reserved the right to challenge the proceedings in the Supreme Court.
Justice Sharma has previously dismissed these allegations as “conjectures and insinuations,” stating that her oath is to the Constitution alone. She affirmed that recusal under such pressure would be an “abdication of duty” and maintained that the legal profession is open to all, including the children of judges, through their own merit.
