SC reacts to Amit Shah's 'special treatment' remark on Kejriwal's bail

Amit Shah says interim bail granted to Arvind Kejriwal was not a 'routine judgment' and many believe the CM got 'special treatment'

The Supreme Court accepts “critical analysis” of its verdict, saying this after Arvind Kejriwal’s lawyer referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the court had given the Delhi Chief Minister “special treatment'' by releasing him on interim bail.

“We have not made any exception for anybody, we said in our order what we felt was justified,” said a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan.

The top court’s remark was a reference to Shah’s Wednesday remark suggesting that the bail granted to Kejriwal was not a "routine judgment” and that many believe the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief has been given "special treatment."

 

The exchange followed as the court was hearing a plea moved by the AAP chief challenging his arrest in the money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

On May 10, Kejriwal was granted a conditional bail by the SC till June 1 to conduct election campaigns for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

ED objects to Kejriwal election rally remark

During Thursday's hearing, the apex court also refused to consider the ED’s objection to Kejriwal's statement that if people vote for the AAP he will not have to go back to jail on June 2.

This was in reference to Kejriwal’s remark, made a day earlier, during his election rallies in Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies.

“It is in your hands whether I go to jail or not. If you press the lotus button on May 25, I will have to go to jail... Let me clarify here that we have an INDIA bloc in Delhi. Jai Prakash Agarwal ji’s “hand” button is number 2 on the EVM. You will not find the 'broom' button on the EVM. When you go to vote, think about whether to send Kejriwal to jail or not,” Kejriwal said.

Kapil Sibal says Shah's comment 'objectionable'

Earlier today, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP, Kapil Sibal, criticised Shah’s statement. "Amit Shah has given a very objectionable statement and questioned the intention of the Supreme Court. He said that many people say that Arvind Kejriwal's interim bail is a special treatment by the SC. The Home Minister who doesn't have much knowledge about the law shouldn't have made such remarks…,” he said.