Delhi minister Atishi moves HC over delay in nod for UK trip

Atishi has been invited in her official capacity at Cambridge University to speak at a conference on ‘India at 100: Towards Becoming a Global Leader’, to be held on June 15

The Delhi high court on Wednesday will hear a plea by education minister Atishi against the delay by the Centre in giving her clearance to travel to the United Kingdom, where she has been invited as a guest speaker at Cambridge University.

Delhi education Minister Atishi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

Atishi has been invited in her official capacity to speak at a conference on ‘India at 100: Towards Becoming a Global Leader’, to be held on June 15.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had on Monday filed an application in the pending petition by fellow Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot, who has challenged a provision which requires state government ministers, including the chief minister, to seek political clearances from the Centre for foreign visits.

However, the court had asked her to file a separate petition, following which she moved court on Tuesday.

In her plea, Atishi said that the proposed visit is significant for Delhi’s governance as it will allow it to “showcase the leaps” made in areas of education, health, and urban development. The petition has contended that restricting the petitioner’s right to travel abroad on a discretionary basis impinges on her personal liberty.

It also contended that requiring constitutional functionaries and ministers in state government to seek the Centre’s “political clearance” for travelling abroad violates the dignity and independence of a constitutional office.

The plea stated while the Delhi government accorded administrative clearance for travel last month, the Centre “has only been responding” with queries and clarification after lieutenant governor VK Saxena forwarded the proposal to it, thus delaying the whole process, including applying for a visa.

The plea has said that the non-decision on the matter till June 6 has left only eight days for formalities to be completed.

The petition claimed that the petitioner has arranged multiple visits to primary schools in the UK to “ensure that Delhi’s children gain from best practices in primary school education abroad”, and that the trip would be “crucial for a for exchanging ideas on improving urban governance and showcasing Delhi’s own progress in urban design”.

It further contended that delay in granting travel clearances violates the right to privacy.