New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court will begin contempt proceedings against Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and other senior leaders of his party including Manish Sisodia, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said today. “Extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous, and defamatory material” about her was being posted online by the respondents, which amounted to an attack on the judiciary, the judge said.
Justice Sharma said the excise policy case will be heard by a different bench. She meanwhile, will hear the contempt case, since it concerns her family. The judge said she would not take back her order on the recusal, but because she has started contempt proceedings, it is appropriate that the matter is transferred to some other judge — “This is judicial discipline”.
The judge, who is hearing the Delhi liquor case, said while the hearings are in progress inside, a “coordinated campaign” had started on social media.
“A parallel narrative was being constructed outside through digital campaign and insinuations directed at this court… It was a coordinated campaign” by contemnors “armed with political powers” she said.
“My family members were dragged and vilified with edited videos… It was to intimidate not only me but the institution of judiciary,” added the judge, who had refused to recuse herself in the liquor policy case after Kejriwal’s claim that she was biased.
After that, Kejriwal and the others had refused to attend the hearings.
Kejriwal had posted a video on social media platform X, explaining why he was boycotting the proceedings. “My hope of receiving justice from Justice Swarnkanta Sharma Ji has been shattered… Listening to the voice of my conscience, adhering to the principles of Gandhi Ji, and with the spirit of Satyagraha, I have decided that I will not appear before her in this case and will not present any arguments either,” the post read.
Justice Sharma had meant to name three amicus curiae today in the case. But the matter of social media posts loomed large.
“When the institution is put on trial, it becomes the duty of the judge to ensure that the court is not governed by such allegations,” the judge said.
“I am trained to accept fair criticism and dissent… The robe worn by judge demands calmness… However sometimes remaining silent is not judicial restraint. The moment has arrived today,” she added.
“This court did not expect political retaliation. This institution is not political. The survival of judiciary depends not in its power but public confidence. Any attempt to destroy that confidence through a coordinated campaign constitutes gravest instance of contempt,” she added.
Besides Kejriwal, many other leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party have been named in the contempt case, including Manish Sisodia, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, Vinay Mishra, Devesh Vishwakarma and Saurabh Bhardwaj. “We are collectingng material against some youtubers who are promoting this edited video and another short order may follow,” she added.