The Delhi High Court ruled on Monday that statements made by a chief minister during press conferences are not legally enforceable unless they are formalized in a legally binding document. This decision came as a division bench, consisting of Justices C. Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla, overturned a July 2021 ruling which had deemed a promise made by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to pay rent for poor tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic enforceable. The court described the earlier ruling as 'misconceived,' stating that a writ of mandamus—an order compelling a public authority to perform a duty—can only be issued where there exists a legal obligation. The assurance made by Kejriwal was deemed to lack any legal authority as it was not documented in any official form such as a memorandum or notification. The court emphasized that the statement, made during a critical time, could not create a legal duty where none existed. The case originated from a plea by five daily wage earners who sought enforcement of Kejriwal's statement, arguing it was made to protect vulnerable tenants during the pandemic. However, the Delhi government contended that no law or executive instruction required the state to pay the tenants' rent, especially as the circumstances prompting the statement had changed by late April 2020.