In a new twist to the ongoing tussle between Delhi’s top constitutional functionaries, Lieutenant- Governor Najeeb Jung on Wednesday cancelled all appointments made by the Delhi government in the past four days. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on his part, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention.
Mr. Kejriwal wrote to Mr. Jung questioning his move. He wanted to know under what provisions the Lieutenant-Governor had exercised his authority.
He cited the Constitution, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Act and the Transaction of Business Rules to support his objections.
In his letter, he urged Mr. Modi to look into the matter to “allow the Delhi government to function on its own”. In the letter to Mr. Jung, he asked him to “explain the constitutional validity of his decision to annul appointments made by an elected government”.
Delhi enjoys special status: Jung
The Lieutenant-Governor is expected to respond on Thursday. Mr. Jung said he alone was competent to approve transfers and postings of senior bureaucrats in consultation with the Chief Minister, under powers delegated to him by the President. “This is so prescribed in an order of April 9, 1994, which holds even today,” he said.
The Lieutenant-Governor said all appointments made by the government without his approval in the past four days were not valid and the Chief Minister's directions to officers to put up files directly before Ministers had “tended to obfuscate” the special position that Delhi enjoyed as the capital.
With the impasse created after the appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as Acting Chief Secretary still continuing, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that everybody had got united “against us.”
The Delhi IAS Officers’ Association passed a unanimous resolution against what it termed deliberate ‘humiliation’ being meted out to bureaucrats.
