Kejriwal Refuses to Appear Before Delhi HC Judge in Excise Case, Cites Satyagraha
2 hours agoPolitics
32LENS
20 SourcesDelhi, India
TBNthebalanced.news

Kejriwal Refuses to Appear Before Delhi HC Judge in Excise Case, Cites Satyagraha

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has written to Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, stating he will not appear in the excise policy case either personally or through a lawyer. This follows the court's rejection of his plea seeking the judge's recusal, which cited concerns over impartiality. Kejriwal expressed loss of faith in receiving justice from Justice Sharma and invoked Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Satyagraha as a form of protest, while reserving the right to challenge decisions in the Supreme Court. The court dismissed the recusal plea, emphasizing judicial independence and the need for evidence to support bias claims.

Political Bias
68%23%9%
Sentiment
34%
AI analysis of 15 sources · Published under editorial oversight by The Balanced News
Analysed 27 Apr 2026· How this analysis is produced· Editorial standards· Corrections

AI Analysis

Political bias across 20 sources
● Left 68%● Center 23%● Right 9%

The article group presents perspectives primarily from Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi High Court. Kejriwal's viewpoint highlights his loss of faith in the judge and his decision to protest via Satyagraha, reflecting a critical stance toward the judiciary's handling of the case. The court's perspective emphasizes judicial independence and rejects bias allegations as unsubstantiated. Coverage includes official statements and legal reasoning without partisan commentary, representing both the accused's and judiciary's positions.

Sentiment — Neutral (34/100)

The overall tone across the articles is serious and formal, reflecting the gravity of the legal dispute. Kejriwal's statements convey frustration and resolve, while the court's responses assert authority and impartiality. The sentiment is mixed, balancing Kejriwal's protest and loss of trust with the judiciary's firm rejection of bias claims and emphasis on maintaining institutional credibility.

How 15 sources covered this story

Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.

SourceTheir headlineBiasSentiment
thestatesmanKejriwal's 'Satyagraha' against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma: 'Is judiciary British? Don't insult Gandhi ji; you did liquor scam,' quips BJPCenter-leftNeutral
theprint'Hope of receiving justice shattered': Kejriwal writes to judge Swarana Kanta, to skip HC hearingLeftNeutral
news18'Hopes Shattered': Kejriwal Refuses To Appear Before Justice Swarana Kanta After Recusal Plea RejectedLeftNeutral
ndtvArvind Kejriwal's "Satyagraha" Move In Letter To Judge In Liquor Policy CaseLeftNeutral
timesnowKejriwal Writes To Delhi HC Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, Cites 'Satyagraha' As He Refuses To Appear In Excise CaseLeftNeutral
indiatodayHope of justice shattered: Full text of Kejriwal's letter refusing court appearanceLeftNegative
republicworld'Hope For Justice Shattered': Kejriwal Refuses To Appear Before Delhi HC Judge In Excise Policy Scam Case, Cites SatyagrahaLeftNeutral
thetribuneWon't appear in person or through lawyer: Kejriwal writes to Delhi HC Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma - The TribuneLeftNeutral
businessstandardArvind Kejriwal refuses to appear before Delhi HC judge in excise caseLeftNeutral
thefinancialexpressArvind Kejriwal will not appear before Justice Swarn Kanta, says 'My hope of getting justice from her is shattered'LeftNegative
moneycontrol'Lost faith': Kejriwal refuses to appear before judge who refused to recuse in excise case- Moneycontrol.comLeftNeutral
theprintWon't appear in person or through lawyer: Kejriwal writes to Delhi HC Justice Swarana Kanta SharmaLeftNeutral
freepressjournalAAP chief Arvind Kejriwal Writes To Delhi HC Judge, Refuses To Appear In Excise Case; Cites Loss Of Faith, Opts For 'Satyagraha'LeftNeutral
zeenewsArvind Kejriwal refuses to appear before Justice Swarana Kanta, who refused to recuse in excise caseLeftNegative
indianexpressArvind Kejriwal writes to Justice Sharma: 'Will not appear before her in person or through lawyer'LeftNeutral

Coverage timeline

indianexpress broke this story on 27 Apr, 04:18 am. Other outlets followed.

  1. 1
    indianexpress27 Apr, 04:18 am
    Arvind Kejriwal writes to Justice Sharma: 'Will not appear before her in person or through lawyer'
  2. 2
    zeenews27 Apr, 04:22 am
    Arvind Kejriwal refuses to appear before Justice Swarana Kanta, who refused to recuse in excise case
  3. 3
    freepressjournal27 Apr, 04:29 am
    AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal Writes To Delhi HC Judge, Refuses To Appear In Excise Case; Cites Loss Of Faith, Opts For 'Satyagraha'
  4. 4
    theprint27 Apr, 04:32 am
    Won't appear in person or through lawyer: Kejriwal writes to Delhi HC Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma
  5. 5
    moneycontrol27 Apr, 04:33 am
    'Lost faith': Kejriwal refuses to appear before judge who refused to recuse in excise case- Moneycontrol.com
  6. 6
    thefinancialexpress27 Apr, 04:38 am
    Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before Justice Swarn Kanta, says 'My hope of getting justice from her is shattered'
  7. 7
    businessstandard27 Apr, 04:52 am
    Arvind Kejriwal refuses to appear before Delhi HC judge in excise case
  8. 8
    thetribune27 Apr, 04:56 am
    Won't appear in person or through lawyer: Kejriwal writes to Delhi HC Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma - The Tribune
  9. 9
    republicworld27 Apr, 05:02 am
    'Hope For Justice Shattered': Kejriwal Refuses To Appear Before Delhi HC Judge In Excise Policy Scam Case, Cites Satyagraha
  10. 10
    indiatoday27 Apr, 05:06 am
    Hope of justice shattered: Full text of Kejriwal's letter refusing court appearance

Lens Score breakdown

32/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%

Well-covered story — coverage matches public importance.

Who's involved

Institutions and figures named across source coverage.

Political
Aam Aadmi Party
Judiciary
Delhi High CourtJustice Swarana Kanta Sharma

Story context

Category
Politics
Location
Delhi, India
Sources analysed
20
Last analysed
27 Apr 2026
Key entities
Delhi High CourtArvind KejriwalAam Aadmi PartySatyagrahaMahatma GandhiSupreme Court of IndiaDelhiList of chief ministers of DelhiJudiciaryLawyerExciseJudicial disqualification