Stepping his attack on the Centre, Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said the Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Delhi government will continue with its probe in the alleged Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) scam despite being declared illegal by union ministry of home affairs.
The MHA has declared the Commission of Inquiry illegal and unconstitutional as Delhi is not a full-state. However, Mr Kejriwal reasoned that the Commission was appointed in accordance with law and the Constitution.
“DDCA enquiry commission set up by Delhi Govt (government) is as per law and constitution of India. Centre’s opinion not binding on Del govt. Commission will continue work. If LG (Lieutenant Governor) or MHA or PMO (Prime Minister Office) aggrieved, they may approach Court. Only a court order can stop commission’s work,” he wrote in a series of tweets. Mr Kejriwal on Friday was in Kolkata to attend the Bengal Business Summit.
Earlier, the Centre had declared setting up of the Commission of Inquiry to probe the DDCA as “unconstitutional and illegal” after L-G moved the file to the Home Ministry. Mr Kejriwal had then asked the Lieutenant Governor, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office to approach the judiciary in case they were “aggrieved” with the panel that was formed through a notification on December 22 last year.
Incidentally, the Home Ministry took a similar stand in August on the Kejriwal government's decision to set up a commission of inquiry to probe the CNG fitness scam. In September, M A Usmani, former deputy commissioner of the transport department, challenged the AAP government’s decision to form a Commission of Inquiry to probe the alleged scam. The matter is now pending in court.
Retired Solicitor General, Gopal Subramanium was handpicked by the AAP-government to head the panel and he accepted. Though earlier, Mr Subramanium in an interview had said that he would accept the offer only after clearance from the Centre and L-G.
But later in a letter to Mr Kejriwal on December 28 he had said that formation was in tune with provisions in the Constitution, notwithstanding L-G’s objections. He wrote that in view of the resolution passed by the Delhi Assembly to form the Commission, it was “incumbent” upon the city government to set up the same as the House was a “State legislature for all practical purposes”. He later wrote to National Security advisor, Ajit Doval, asking seeking a list of five officers each from IB, CBI and Delhi Police to assist him in the inquiry.