Sandeep Pathak approaches Delhi HC over denial of meeting with Kejriwal

AAP's Sandeep Kumar Pathak challenges Tihar Jail's denial of meeting with CM Kejriwal, citing political speech importance in democracy.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Sandeep Kumar Pathak on Wednesday challenged before the Delhi High Court an order by the prison authorities denying him a meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar Jail.

Mr. Pathak termed the prison authority’s decision “completely unjustified” and sought a direction to the jail authorities to allow him the right of physical visitation and interview with the CM, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in an excise policy-related case.

The jail authorities had permitted the AAP leader to meet Mr. Kejriwal twice but refused to give him permission to meet on April 24, claiming that certain statements made by him after meeting the CM were politically motivated and in contravention of the prison rules.

Tihar Jail authorities contended before the court that Mr. Pathak deliberately violated the norms by speaking to the media about the deliberations he had with Mr. Kejriwal and that the prison administration is not in favour of allowing him the facility of physical “mulakat” with the inmate in view of his conduct.

Mr. Pathak said political speech and political talks form an essential part of democracy and also of the basic structure of the Constitution.

“General talk with political undertones cannot and should not be denied to a person visiting an undertrial prisoner unless they result in violation of any law in force or are expressly barred under Article 19 of the Constitution,” the Rajya Sabha member argued.

The court will continue hearing the case on Thursday. It asked the jail authorities to place on record the order by which the AAP leader was stopped from meeting Mr. Kejriwal.