Jasmine Shah withdraws from Delhi High Court plea over removal from DDCD post

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has permitted AAP leader Jasmine Shah to withdraw his petition challenging a city government order restraining him from performing duties as vice chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi in 2022.

"Learned counsel for the petitioner seeks to withdraw the present petition. The same is accordingly dismissed as withdrawn," said Justice Sachin Datta in an order passed earlier this month.

The counsel for the Delhi government told the court that the petition did not survive as the clear stand of the authorities was that Shah had been rightly removed from the position.

In his petition, Shah challenged the November 17, 2022, order issued by the director (Planning), Delhi government, on the lieutenant governor's (LG) request to the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to remove him from the post of vice chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD).

DDCD offices were sealed to prevent their "misuse by Shah for political gains" and facilities assigned to him were also withdrawn.

Shah had submitted in his plea that the order passed against him was a "gross abuse of power and process", "wholly without any merit, an instance of colourable exercise of authority, illegal, ex facie malafide and patently lacking in jurisdiction".

He also assailed orders locking his office and withdrawing all facilities as well as privileges.

During the pendency of the petition, the LG's counsel informed that the matter of Shah's removal had been referred to the President of India.

Shah was behind the Delhi government's ambitious electric vehicle policy and was the vice chairman of the think-tank involved in drawing blueprints of various initiatives of the city government, including its food truck policy, electronic city and shopping festival, among others.

He enjoyed the rank of a Cabinet minister and was entitled to perks and privileges of a Delhi government minister like official accommodation, office, vehicle and personal staff.