Panaji, April 22: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa unit on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of politicising concerns raised by Arvind Kejriwal and diverting public attention from what it termed a legitimate demand for fair justice. Addressing the media, AAP Goa State President Valmiki Naik, along with legal wing member Sunil Loran and minority leader Sarfaraz Ankalgi, criticised the BJP’s response to Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma declining to recuse herself from the excise case.
Naik stated that the concerns raised by Kejriwal, including the judge’s participation in events linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad and the empanelment of her children with the Central government, were sufficient to create a reasonable apprehension of bias. He emphasised that proving actual bias in court is not necessary, as even a reasonable doubt in the mind of the applicant warrants recusal.
Referring to the Rouse Avenue Court judgment of March 9, Naik alleged that it exposed a larger conspiracy by the BJP to target opposition leaders. He further pointed out that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represents central agencies against Kejriwal, is responsible for assigning cases to panel lawyers, including the judge’s children. This, he claimed, raises the possibility of a conflict of interest and casts doubt on the fairness of proceedings.
Quoting Kejriwal’s position, Naik said that the financial benefits arising from such case assignments add to the apprehension of bias. He also accused the BJP of attempting to shift the narrative by portraying the issue as an attack on a woman judge, rather than addressing the substantive concerns raised in court.
Sunil Loran supported the claims, stating that the facts regarding the judge’s children being on the Centre’s legal panel are undisputed and acknowledged in court. He further noted that Justice Sharma had admitted to attending events organised by the Adhivakta Parishad, which he described as ideologically aligned with the RSS, the parent organisation of the BJP.
The AAP leaders also criticised BJP leaders in Goa for holding press conferences that, according to them, spread misleading narratives against Kejriwal. They urged the public to focus on the facts presented before the court rather than political statements.
Concluding, AAP leaders reiterated that the demand was solely for a fair and impartial hearing, asserting that a reasonable apprehension of bias is enough to seek recusal in the interest of justice.
