Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh affirmed that Arvind Kejriwal will continue to serve as the Chief Minister of Delhi, following the Delhi High Court’s statement regarding the incommunicado status of a chief minister in the MCD textbook case. Singh attributed the disruption in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) work to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over the standing committee issue.
The LG secretariat declined to comment on AAP’s accusations, while the BJP deemed the court’s decision as a sign for the chief minister to resign in the public’s interest, labeling it a “black day in Delhi’s history.”
In response to the court’s order, a senior MCD official disclosed that preparations are underway to provide notebooks, stationery, school bags, and uniforms to approximately 650,000 students, with an estimated expenditure of around ₹70 crore. Each student is expected to receive a subsidy of about Rs. 1,100, and measures are being taken to enroll students without bank accounts for direct subsidy transfers.
Regarding the distribution of NCERT textbooks, the official stated that while textbooks for classes 1 to 3 have been updated, those for classes 4 and 5 remain unchanged. The textbooks are procured through the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, with distribution set to begin upon receiving the next batch of books.
Regarding other pending works due to the non-formation of the standing committee, the official mentioned that the corporation’s law department will review the court’s order.
In a press conference, Sanjay Singh asserted, “It is the decision of the people of Delhi and its MLAs that Arvind Kejriwal is, was, and will remain the chief minister.” He highlighted a previous survey conducted in Delhi that showed unanimous support for Kejriwal as the Chief Minister.
Singh emphasized Kejriwal’s democratic rights and criticized what he described as the central government and BJP’s dictatorship. He mentioned that a proposal was passed in the assembly, reaffirming support for Kejriwal’s leadership even if he were jailed, ensuring the government would continue to function.
Regarding the impact on MCD’s work, Singh blamed the LG for nominating BJP leaders as aldermen, affecting the standing committee’s formation. He stated that the work of the people of Delhi has not been disrupted, with ministers continuing to work under Kejriwal’s guidance.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva commented on the Delhi High Court’s observations, stating that they reprimanded the Delhi government and the Delhi municipal corporation. He suggested that the observations implied Kejriwal should resign in the public’s interest.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor criticized the AAP, suggesting they are running the administration arbitrarily and ignoring constitutional norms. He claimed that the AAP’s reluctance to allow standing committee elections is due to the fear of losing rather than any ideological reason.