The Centre and the Delhi government were at loggerheads again on Tuesday with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing the Lieutenant-Governor of snooping on his government and shooting off a letter to the Union Home Minister seeking details of consultants hired by the Narendra Modi-government since 2014.
“You have sought to know the number of IAS posts now held by other officers. As per my knowledge, there won't be more than two or three such officers. I am confident that the Central government would have also asked for this information from N. Chandrababu Naidu, Vasundhara Raje, Devendra Fadnavis and Shivraj Singh Chouhan as well,” Mr. Kejriwal wrote in his letter.
While Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung denied the charge of “spying for the Prime Minister”, the Union Home Minister said it was well within its rights to seek details about the status of officer belonging to all-India services.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Delhi CM said his legal experts had told him that the Central government had no authority to seek this information from him.
Taking on Mr. Modi, Mr Kejriwal remarked sarcastically that he was happy the PM was taking so much interest in the affairs of the Delhi government. “The Prime Minister spends much of his time abroad. But when he is in India, much of his time is consumed on matters related to the Delhi government.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“Shocking! LG snooping on CM (and) Ministers,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.
Even AAP leader Sanjay Singh accused Mr. Jung of ‘spying for the PMO’ and alleged that the BJP wanted to destabilise the Delhi government.
The remarks by the AAP leaders came after Mr. Jung had complained to Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, that a Railway officer was found working with the Delhi government while on study leave from his department.
Mr. Kejriwal for long has been pushing for full Statehood to Delhi which would bring the police, transfer/posting of officials and land under the Delhi government.