HC asks AAP leader to "respectfully withdraw" as petitioner in PIL on potholes

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed an AAP leader to withdraw his name as petitioner in a PIL filed on the issue of potholes in Goa, after the state government alleged that he used the litigation for "political mileage".

AAP's Goa general secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar moved the high court earlier this week seeking its intervention into the matter, saying the pothole-ridden roads were causing inconvenience to commuters and needed urgent repairs.

When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, Advocate General Devidas Pangam contended that the petitioner used the PIL "to gain political mileage".

He placed on record some messages circulated by Padgaonkar in the matter to media.

Pangam appealed to the court to drop the petitioner and take up the case suo-motu (on its own), which the court has done.

Justice Mahesh Sonak, taking serious notice of the submission, asked Padgaonkar if he wanted to "respectfully withdraw as petitioner," to which to the AAP leader agreed.

The judge told the petitioner that Public Interest Litigations (PILs) "should not be personal, political or 'paisa' motivated".