A day after the Delhi High Court stayed two notices sent by the Delhi Assembly’s Committee on Questions and Reference to Chief Secretary M.M. Kutty, members of that committee on Tuesday said that the judiciary was “stalling the functioning” of the House committees, as per a statement.
Mr. Kutty had moved the HC on Monday, seeking directions to the committee, which had issued a show-cause notice and a notice to hold a meeting regarding an ongoing probe into corruption allegations. The High Court had given a stay and said that the tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Centre could demoralise the bureaucracy.
On Tuesday, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, who is the chairperson of the Questions and Reference Committee, and member of the committee Saurabh Bhardwaj addressed a press conference to clarify their stand on the issue. Referring to the stay given on Monday as well as two other cases where the High Court stayed Assembly committee actions recently, Mr. Bhardwaj said the committee would “ask Speaker Ram Niwas Goel to uphold the powers and privileges of the Assembly”.
The committee had been looking into allegations of corruption in the Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank and had asked the Chief Secretary to submit an action taken report (ATR). After several extensions, the committee had asked the Chief Secretary to appear before it on Monday. But, the Chief Secretary instead moved court.
‘Court is interfering’
Mr. Bhardwaj said the court had “interfered” in the functioning of the House committee based on misrepresented facts. The court had in July and August stayed two Assembly proceedings - first a breach of privilege motion against PWD Secretary Ashwani Kumar and then the report of the Petitions Committee on de-silting of drains on a plea of the Chief Secretary.
