The Delhi high court on Thursday sought the response of the AAP government on a plea alleging that it indulged in “largescale wastage of taxpayers’ money” on its political activities by launching a massive advertisement campaign to glorify its one year in power.
A bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath asked the city government to file its affidavit by February 25 on Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken’s application seeking to restrain the Kejriwal government from publishing or airing any advertisements and promotional campaign outside Delhi.
The court’s direction came when the Delhi government’s senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra sought adjournment of the matter, which was opposed by senior advocate Vikas Singh, who represented Mr Maken.
The court listed the application for next week, asking the AAP government to file its counter-affidavit, if any.
The Delhi Congress chief, in his fresh application, also sought direction to the AAP government to launch campaigns only in Delhi and that too in a cost-effective manner and in conformity with the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Mr Singh, who was assisted by advocates Aman Panwar and Mudit Gupta, told the court that the Delhi government had failed to allocate adequate resources for salaries of poor employees and sanitation workers of municipal corporations.
“At this juncture, it is imperative to point out to this court that while the sanitation employees of Delhi municipal corporations had to indefinitely struggle and protest for weeks before the GNCTD to get funds for their salaries, at the same time the GNCTD has promptly sanctioned about '100 crore for the purposes of anniversary and promotional campaigns of the party in power,” the application stated.
It alleged that the advertisements were published and aired in newspapers, TV channels and radio in and outside Delhi in violation of the government advertisement guidelines.
