Setback for Kejriwal: FIR ordered amid political turmoil

In a recent setback for Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Chief Minister of Delhi, a court in Delhi has ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against him.

This development comes in the wake of his loss in the Delhi Assembly elections, including from his own New Delhi constituency, and amid ongoing legal challenges related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, for which he is currently out on bail.

At Rouse Avenue Court, a petition was brought forward requesting legal action against Mr. Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders, Gulab Singh and Nitika Sharma, for allegedly misusing public funds on large-scale hoardings.

The court has directed the Delhi Police to file the FIR, with a compliance report due by March 18. Although a lower court had dismissed the petition earlier, the case, which dates back to 2019, has now gained traction.

The allegations are centered around claims that Mr. Kejriwal, along with former AAP MLA Singh and Dwarka councilor Sharma, expended public resources on these hoardings. Throughout AAP's decade-long governance in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consistently accused them of using public money for personal publicity. Last January, the Directorate of Information and Publicity demanded AAP reimburse Rs 163.62 crore, including interest, for misusing funds on political advertising.

The BJP has also argued that AAP prioritized publicity spending over actual project allocations. In one instance, they claimed Rs 80 crore was spent promoting the Business Blasters scheme, despite an allotment of only Rs 54 crore. Similarly, they alleged disproportionate publicity spends for the Desh Ke Mentor and Stubble Management schemes.

Additionally, the BJP criticized the substantial funds allocated for renovations at the Delhi chief minister’s residence during Mr. Kejriwal’s tenure, an expense derisively labeled "Sheeshmahal."

In defense, the AAP stated that renovations were essential for the 1942-built residence, following recommendations from the Public Works Department. However, this issue seemingly contributed to the party's electoral losses.

From holding over 60 of the 70 Assembly seats in 2019, the AAP's presence diminished to just 22 seats, while the BJP secured a commanding 48 seats, claiming power in Delhi for the first time in 26 years. In the New Delhi constituency, Parvesh Verma of the BJP defeated Mr. Kejriwal with a margin exceeding 4,000 votes.

Moreover, in January, the Home Ministry authorized the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute Mr. Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act concerning the liquor policy case. AAP, however, has consistently denied all allegations against its leaders.