“Dangerous Line Crossed”: BJP, AAP Clash After HC Contempt Proceedings in Excise Case

In a dramatic new turn in the long running Delhi excise policy case , the political and legal battle surrounding Arvind Kejriwal has intensified after the Delhi High Court initiated criminal contempt proceedings against several leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party over alleged social media attacks on Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma . The development has sparked fierce political reactions, revived debate over judicial independence , and once again brought the controversial liquor policy case to the centre of national politics.

The controversy unfolded during hearings on the Central Bureau of Investigation plea challenging the discharge of Arvind Kejriwal , Manish Sisodia and several others in the excise policy case earlier this year. Justice Sharma accused AAP leaders of running a “calculated campaign of vilification” through social media posts, edited videos, letters and public statements that allegedly questioned her neutrality and attempted to create pressure on the judiciary.

The contempt proceedings name Arvind Kejriwal , Manish Sisodia , Sanjay Singh , Saurabh Bharadwaj , Durgesh Pathak , Vinay Mishra and others. Justice Sharma said judicial silence in the face of sustained attacks could weaken public confidence in courts and warned against organised attempts to influence legal proceedings outside the courtroom.

While clarifying that she was “not recusing” , Justice Sharma directed that the main excise policy case be transferred to another bench since contempt proceedings had now been initiated by her court. The matter will now be reassigned by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Soon after the development, Arvind Kejriwal posted on social media that “truth has triumphed” and said Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha had once again won. Senior AAP leaders projected the transfer of the case as a moral and political victory for the party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party , however, launched a sharp counterattack. BJP leaders including Amit Malviya and Shehzad Poonawalla accused AAP of trying to intimidate the judiciary and said the party had crossed a “dangerous line” by targeting a sitting judge. The BJP alleged that Kejriwal’s politics increasingly relied on attacking constitutional institutions whenever court proceedings did not favour him.

The excise policy case itself has remained one of the country’s most politically explosive corruption investigations . The alleged scam revolves around irregularities in Delhi’s now scrapped liquor policy. Several prominent politicians and businessmen were arrested over the past three years, though many, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia , were discharged earlier this year, a decision now being challenged by the CBI.