Hearing a petition against the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the office of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi High Court today asked the Aam Aadmi Party leader if he has the authorisation to organise a ‘dharna’ there. “Thing is that you're sitting on a 'dharna’. Who authorised to sit on a dharna like this?" asked the court, according to the Times of India. “If it is a strike or dharna, it has to be somewhere else,” the Bench comprising Justices A K Chawla and Navin Chawla said. "This can’t be called a strike. You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there," the bench added. Kejriwal, along with Health Minister Satyendra Jain and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, has stayed put at LG’s office since Monday evening. According to the party, the leaders want to Baijal to discuss two demands - one, that he step in to end the alleged strike by senior officials in Delhi, and two, approve the scheme for doorstep delivery of services which was rejected earlier. Apart from this petition, the court also heard a plea against the alleged strike by the IAS officers in the national capital. Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta has also approached the court against Kejriwal’s dharna.<doc-sep>Kejriwal Live updates: Delhi High Court pulls up Kejriwal govt over dharna Who authorised Kerjiwal's dharna at LG residence? Delhi HC raps AAP NEW DELHI: Delhi high court (HC) today asked who authorised the sit-in , or 'dharna', that Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government ministers including Delhi chief minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal have been on since June 11 at the Lieutenant Governor's official residence.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 byand the others against the alleged strike by the IAS officers of Delhi government. The HC was also today approached by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta who's seeking a court order to Kejriwal to end his 'dharna'.The AAP leaders are demanding that IAS officers in the Capital end their 'undeclared strike'. Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and cabinet minister Gopal Rai and health minister Satyendar Jain have been on a sit-in strike at Raj Niwas, the official residence of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, since June 11. They want Baijal to issue a directive to the civil servants to end their strike, among other demands.The lawyer representing the Delhi government ministers told the court that these IAS officers yesterday acknowledged they aren't attending meetings called by ministers. The HC turned the question on the AAP leaders. "Thing is that you're sitting on a 'dharna'. Who authorized to sit on a dharna like this?" asked the HC.When the Delhi government lawyer said it was the ministers' individual decision, the HC again demanded to know, "Is it authorised? ", and added that such a demonstration can't be termed a strike. "This can’t be called a strike. You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there," the HC added. The bench pointed out that the CM and others are sitting inside the LG's office and not outside his office or at the door.The bench also decided to make the IAS association a party to the proceedings and adjourned the case for Friday.The Capital's bureaucrats are allegedly on strike to protest an alleged assault on chief secretary Anshul Prakash in February by two AAP MLAs at Kejriwal's residence. Delhi's IAS association yesterday held an unprecedented press conference to counter AAP's claim that its officers are on strike and said that they are being "targeted "and "victimised".The officers were addressing the media after Delhi government alleged that bureaucrats in the national capital have been "hindering" the work of the AAP-led government and have alleged that they have been staging a strike for the last four months.Last week, Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi , seeking his intervention to end the IAS officers' "strike" claiming that Lt Governor Baijal was doing "nothing" to break the impasse.In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal cited instances when the government work was stuck as the officers have not been attending meetings with ministers for the past three months.He said cleaning of drains before monsoon, setting up of mohalla clinics and measures to curb air pollution in Delhi are stuck because of the alleged strike by the IAS officers.Two days ago, several opposition chief ministers came out in support of the Kejriwal government. CMs Mamata Banerjee , N Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan and H D Kumaraswamy urged PM Modi to resolve Kejriwal's standoff with the bureaucracy in the Capital.The CMs sought Modi out during the meeting of the Niti Aayog's governing council here on Sunday with Banerjee tweeting, "I, along with CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, have requested PM today to resolve problems of the Delhi government immediately."<doc-sep>The sit-in protest inside Raj Niwas by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his cabinet colleagues entered day 8. (Source: PTI) The sit-in protest inside Raj Niwas by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his cabinet colleagues entered day 8. (Source: PTI) The Delhi High Court asked the government Monday whether permission had been obtained for the week-long sit-in protest by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues at the office of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. While refraining from issuing interim directions on three PILs, the court also asked for the meaning of “dharna or strike”. “This can’t be called a strike,” observed a vacation bench of Justices A K Chawla and Navin Chawla, “You can’t go inside someone’s office or house and hold a strike there.” The court also said: “Who authorised the strike/dharna? You (Kejriwal and others) are sitting inside the LG’s office. If it’s a strike, it has to be outside the office.” The HC also asked if permission had been obtained from the Lt Governor in this regard and also sought to know from the Delhi government counsel whether Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Labour Minister Gopal Rai were on “strike or dharna”. “What is the meaning of strike or dharna? Can anyone explain it,” the bench said while refraining from issuing any interim directions on three PILs that sought to stop the sit-in protest at the Lt Governor’s office. The court said it would take up the matter next on June 22. Kejriwal and his colleagues have been on the sit-in protest at Raj Niwas since the evening of June 11. Sisodia and Jain, who also started a hunger strike have been hospitalised. Responding to the query by the bench, senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, who appeared for the Delhi government, said Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues took the decision to protest in their individual capacity and they were empowered to do so under the Constitution. When the Delhi government lawyer said it was an individual decision by the ministers to hold a strike, Justice A K Chawla again asked, “Is it authorised?”, and added that such a demonstration could not be termed a strike. The bench also pointed out that the CM and others were sitting inside the Lt Governor’s office and not outside or at the door. The oral remarks were made while the court heard two petitions: by Delhi-based lawyer Hari Nath Ram through advocates Shashank Deo Sudhi and Shashi Bhushan against the sit-in by AAP leader Kejriwal on June 14 and another against the alleged Delhi government IAS officers strike by advocate Umesh Gupta on June 15. The sit-in protest at Baijal’s office was also challenged Monday by Delhi Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta. BJP MP Parvesh Singh Sahib, rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra and BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa are joint petitioners with Gupta. Kejriwal said they would not leave Baijal’s office until their demands are met, which include directions to IAS officers to end their alleged strike, action against such officers and approval to an AAP proposal for doorstep delivery of ration to the poor. During arguments, the Centre told the court that no IAS officers were on strike and urged the bench to direct Kejriwal and others to vacate the Lt Governor’s office. The court asked petitioner advocate Umesh Gupta, who moved a plea against the alleged strike by the bureaucrats, to make an association representing IAS officers as a party in the matter. Advocates Sudhi and Bhushan told The Indian Express that they will now approach the Supreme Court against Kejriwal’s sit-in protest.<doc-sep>Delhi High Court The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the AAP government who authorised the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his cabinet colleagues 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. 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.<doc-sep>
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government who authorised chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sit-in at Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s office, observing it was not a place to protest. Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, health minister Satyendar Jain, and development minister Gopal Rai have camped at Baijal’s waiting room since June 11, refusing to leave until the L-G makes IAS officers working in the Delhi government end an alleged strike. “You are sitting inside the L-G’s office. If it’s a strike, it has to be outside the office,” said a bench comprising Justice A K Chawla and Justice Navin Chawla, reported news agency PTI. Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, who represented the Delhi government, said Kejriwal and the three ministers took the decision to protest and the Constitution empowers them to do so. Nandrajog argued the only direction the court can give was to ask IAS officers to attend routine departmental meetings held by the ministers. He said an association representing the IAS officers had admitted in a press conference on Sunday that they were not attending routine meetings. The Central government rejected his statement and told the court that IAS officers were not on strike and the AAP ministers must be ordered to vacate Baijal’s office. The court was hearing two petitions: one against Kejriwal’s protest and another against the alleged strike by the IAS officers. The court is likely to hear the two petitions and one filed by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vijender Gupta, who is Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly, on June 22. AAP leaders accompanied by thousands of party workers on Sunday marched towards the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Sunday in support of their ministers’ protest. IAS officers have said they are not on strike and that there was an atmosphere of “fear” and “mistrust” in the bureaucracy in the national capital. (With inputs from PTI)