"Goa is lucky for me": Arvind Kejriwal after Delhi High Court judge recuses herself from excise policy case

New Delhi [India], May 16 : AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal declared Goa his "lucky charm," claiming a major legal breakthrough coincided precisely with his arrival in the coastal state.

Addressing a gathering in Velim on Friday, the former Delhi Chief Minister took direct aim at the central government, recounting his six-month imprisonment over the alleged Delhi liquor scam, charges he fiercely maintains were fabricated.

The statement comes after Delhi High Court judge Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma recused herself from the excise policy case.

Reflecting on his time in prison and the subsequent court battles, Arvind Kejriwal, while speaking to the media, said, "These people levelled grave allegations against me and sent me to jail for six months, claiming that Kejriwal had committed a massive liquor scam. I returned from Goa on the night of February 26th, and on February 27th, an order was issued declaring Kejriwal innocent...The CBI and the Modi government were very disturbed by how such an order could have been passed. They approached the High Court, and before the presiding judge, we filed an application requesting recusal due to a direct conflict of interest, which was initially refused. However, I arrived in Goa the day before yesterday, and yesterday she recused herself, so Goa is very lucky for me."

The Aam Aadmi Party claimed a major legal 'victory' after Delhi High Court judge Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma recused herself from the excise policy case. The recusal comes after weeks of legal arguments by the AAP convenor and other accused parties regarding their right to an unbiased hearing.

According to the AAP, Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma has recused herself from hearing the matter after sustained objections raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other accused over concerns regarding a fair trial. Calling it a major victory for Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP said the decision vindicates the stand taken by its leadership from the very beginning.

On this development, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, "Truth has prevailed. Gandhi Ji's Satyagraha has once again emerged victorious."

In a statement, the AAP noted that Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others had repeatedly requested Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma to step away from the matter, citing conflict of interest concerns and apprehensions regarding a fair trial.

The party stated that Arvind Kejriwal had written a detailed letter to Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma listing ten valid reasons and expressing hope that she would voluntarily recuse herself from the case. "However, despite these concerns being raised, Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma had earlier decided not to withdraw from hearing the matter. Following that decision, Arvind Kejriwal had gone to Rajghat, paid homage at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial and resolved to follow the path of Satyagraha by deciding not to appear before her court in the matter," the AAP asserted.

The party said, "Arvind Kejriwal had maintained that whatever order her court passed would be accepted and that he would exercise his legal rights by approaching the Supreme Court. Among the ten reasons cited by Arvind Kejriwal seeking the judge's recusal, one major concern related to the fact that Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma's children are empanelled with the Central Government. In the excise policy case, the Solicitor General appears on behalf of the CBI and allocates cases in his role as a senior authority."

Meanwhile, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj reacted to reports regarding contempt proceedings and said, "News reports suggest that Hon'ble Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma of the High Court has initiated contempt proceedings against AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and myself. During her order, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma repeatedly emphasised two things. First, she repeatedly said that she was not doing this out of personal displeasure, but to protect the credibility and dignity of the judiciary. She repeatedly said that this was not for herself. Second, she said that she had two paths before her, an easy path and a difficult path, and that she chose the difficult one every time. I want to say a few things in this regard."

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