Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, speaks to the media after meeting President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursady. — G.N. JHA
Insisting that the courts should be “shut down” if issues like who is anti-national are to be adjudged outside judicial purview, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked the Modi government for “not following” the Supreme Court order to maintain peace at Patiala House courts and said that such a situation could lead to “dictatorship.”
Mr Kejriwal, reacting to attacks on mediapersons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House courts complex despite the directives of the apex court to maintain order there, said, “This was a message that the Centre was giving to the Supreme Court that do whatever you like, we will not follow your orders. It has given an open challenge.”
Talking to reporters after meeting President Pranab Mukherjee on the JNU row, the chief minister said if the Supreme Court’s order is not followed barely 200 metres from where it sits, “then there will be no such thing called the Constitution. Then it will be the Centre and the Prime Minister’s dictatorship. This is something very serious. There is no judiciary after that.”
Questioning the failure of the police to arrest Delhi BJP MLA O.P. Sharma, accused of beating up a person in the courts complex, Mr Kejriwal said, “A BJP MLA and some anti-social elements attacked students, journalists and innocent people at the Patiala House courts. When those who attacked the journalists, the students at the Patiala House courts were asked why did they attack, they said they were shouting pro-Pakistan slogans. If anyone raises pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans should we kill him ”
“It’s like if anyone commits murder and the police asks about the reason for it, the accused will say he was raising pro-Pakistan slogans. And then the police will let him off. Is this a new law in this country ”
Flanked by his Cabinet colleagues, Mr Kejriwal said that a “new law” is being followed in the country where anyone can be killed on the pretext of raising anti-national slogans.
“Why is O.P. Sharma still free... Is this a new law... who will decide whether it is against the nation Then shut down the Supreme Court and high courts,” Mr Kejriwal said.
He said the Centre had on Wednesday given an open challenge to the apex court, saying “We don’t follow your orders. Do whatever you want. This is dangerous for the nation.”
He said if the Centre could not arrest those involved in the act, then how can they arrest Pathankot terrorists. Mr Kejriwal alleged that the Centre was not arresting the accused to keep the pot boiling over the issue.
