Moments after facing the music from the Delhi High Court, the city’s deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, has issued ‘directions’ to withdraw his government’s previous order on the need to convert 100 rooms of a 5-star hotel into a COVID facility for judges.
Sisodia wrote on Twitter, “Issued directions to withdraw this order immediately.”
The decision to withdraw the controversial order came hours after the Delhi High Court lashed out at the Delhi government for heaping embarrassment on the judiciary. The court told the Delhi government lawyer that it had not made any such requests for special treatment.
The Delhi government lawyer had blamed the media for their coverage of the story. However, the high court had bluntly told the government lawyer that the media was not wrong in reporting the facts and the government order ought to have been squarely blamed for the embarrassment.
Issued directions to withdraw this order immediately. https://t.co/CqQYJBjVRs
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 27, 2021
The high court, according to Bar and Bench, said, “All that we wanted was in case they need hospitalisation, that facility should be given. It has translated into this order.”
It continued, “You are passing orders left right and centre without meaning to do anything about it.. We have not even asked for it. That hospital has no manpower, no equipment, no ventilator, no medicines. What are you trying to convey?”
“What is the protection? That …it is to benefit ourselves or that you have done to appease us.” the court asked.
The Delhi government had stunned everyone on Monday by issuing an extraordinary order directing Ashoka Hotel to allocate 100 rooms, to be converted into a COVID health facility for the high court judges and other judicial staff. The hotel was warned of consequences if it failed to adhere to the government directives.