The Rajasthan High Court, under the leadership of Acting Chief Justice M.M. Srivastava and Justice Shubha Mehta, dismissed the public interest petition filed by Omprakash Solanki for administering the oath of office to Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa as Deputy Chief Ministers. Additionally, a fine of ₹25,000 was imposed on lawyer Omprakash Solanki.
Omprakash Solanki had filed a public interest petition challenging the administration of the oath of office for the Deputy Chief Minister post to Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa in the Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur. This petition was presented before the court by Acting Solicitor General Rajdeepak Rastogi on behalf of the Indian government, following the proper procedure for filing a writ petition.
Acting Solicitor General Rastogi argued that the petition was baseless and motivated by malice. He informed the court that the petition was entirely unfounded and that the requirements outlined in the Constitution for taking the oath had been duly fulfilled. He emphasized that merely writing “Deputy Chief Minister” does not make the oath invalid. Rastogi supported his arguments with references to judgments from the Supreme Court and various High Courts.
Agreeing with Rastogi’s arguments and incorporating the judicial perspectives presented, the court rejected the petition, noting that nowadays there is widespread misuse of public interest petitions. The court observed that the current case falls into the category of baseless petitions without any foundation. The High Court, while dismissing Omprakash Solanki’s claims and refusing his arguments, imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on him.
