A day after Lieutenant-Governor Najeen Jung dissolved the Delhi Waqf Board, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the Centre of having begun a process to declare “null and void” all of the decisions taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government since it assumed power in February 2015.
Speaking at a press conference held at his official residence in Civil Lines, Mr. Kejriwal said the administrative functioning of the Capital was “chaotic”.
Referring to the August 4 Delhi High Court order that held the L-G as the foremost administrative authority in the Capital, the CM said that the order cannot have retrospective effect but can only have a prospective effect.
“The L-G has scrapped the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman saying his prior approval was not sought. Will all the DERC’s decisions taken in the last one-and-a-half-years be declared null and void too?” Mr. Kejriwal asked.
“He also quashed the government’s decision to increase circle rates for agricultural land, citing that his nod was not taken. Will those farmers who sold their land have to return money to the purchaser now?” Mr. Kejriwal asked.
‘Ex-post facto approval’
The CM also asked whether the 8,000 new classrooms and the flyovers built by his government will be demolished as no prior approval was taken from the L-G. “The process going on to declare null and void all our decisions taken in the last one-and-a-half year is very unfortunate. I request the Centre not to make governance in Delhi a laughing stock as it is very serious business and it will only lead to chaos,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Asserting that after the HC order, the AAP government was sending all files to Mr. Jung for his prior approval, Mr. Kejriwal said he would request the L-G to give his ex-post facto approval on those files which were not sent for his prior approval.
On the issue of transfers and postings of bureaucrats, Mr. Kejriwal said that the AAP government needed to have a say in the matter.
Regarding the dissolution of the Delhi Waqf Board, Mr, Kejriwal said that the decision was taken as its chairman and AAP’s Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan was exposing scams.
