Plea in Delhi High Court for banning circulation of Arvind Kejriwal's letter

NEW DELHI: A petition was today moved in the Delhi High Court seeking ban on publication and circulation of Arvind Kejriwal's letter questioning court orders sending him to judicial custody and also levelling allegations against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

The public interest litigation (PIL) was mentioned before a bench of justices B D Ahmed and S Mridul by advocate Vivek Narayan Sharma who also sought blocking of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) website till the letter was withdrawn from it.

The bench refused to give an urgent hearing to the matter as sought by Sharma and said it will be listed for hearing before the concerned bench on May 28. The PIL has sought a ban on the letter on the ground that it "would entice people" not to follow rule of law.

During the brief arguments while mentioning of the plea, the bench observed "it is a free country" and it would be against democracy to ban the publication or circulation of the letter or blocking of the AAP website. The PIL alleged, "The impugned action and declaration by respondent 3 (Kejriwal) and 4 (AAP) is to entice and encourage people against Rule of Law and Constitution of India.

"Therefore the same is very bad for the nation in the long run and would encourage anarchy and destabilise the nation's welfare, growth and peace." It also said the letter was "defamatory and contemptuous" to the judiciary. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody by a trial court after he refused to furnish bail bond in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.