HC dismisses plea to restrain Kejriwal, AAP from making full statehood promise for Delhi

The Delhi High Court Wednesday dismissed a PIL seeking to restrain Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from making "false" electoral promise of full statehood for Delhi in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The plea came up before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani which rejected it.

The plea also sought direction to the Election Commission to take appropriate action against Kejriwal and AAP for breach of provision of the Representation of the People Act.

The petition filed by Anil Dutt Sharma said that AAP and Kejriwal have been advertising the promise to get full statehood for Delhi despite knowing that even if they will, they cannot grant it.

"The respondents no. 1 (Kejriwal) and 2 (AAP) do not have powers to make Delhi a complete statehood as they represent and seek to represent on Delhi government while that required to be the ruling party with majority in both the houses of Parliament to grant Delhi full statehood. Admittedly, they are not contesting on sufficient seats to get them desired majority to amend the Constitution," it said.

On April 25, Kejriwal had said "We will fulfil a 70-year-old demand of the people of Delhi by granting full statehood. Both parties, BJP and Congress, have not fulfilled their promise of giving full statehood to Delhi. If Delhi becomes full statehood, we will not require the Centre's permission. The Anti-Corruption branch will be handled by the Delhi government again."