Only a week from swearing-in as the Capital’s new Lt. Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena was slammed by the AAP Delhi government on Wednesday, which accused him of attacking “Delhi’s constitutional sanctity” and appealed to him not to disrupt Delhi’s constitutional framework.
The BJP, meanwhile, said AAP was doing so to divert the public’s attention from its “tainted” Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain.
This is the first tiff between AAP and Mr. Saxena, who was appointed by the Centre last week. The Delhi government had frequent run-ins with the former L-G Anil Baijal, whom AAP, on several occasions, accused of interfering with its governance.
AAP said the L-G had called a meeting of officials of the Delhi Jal Board and issued directions to them. “On May 30, Delhi’s new L-G called a meeting of Delhi Jal Board officers. In the meeting, he issued directions and orders to the DJB officers on a hoard of different issues. I think the L-G is new to Delhi, he is not completely aware of the constitutional situation of the national capital,” AAP leader Atishi said earlier in the day.
She added that it is necessary to apprise the LG that Delhi functions under the bounds of a constitutional framework.
Later in the day, the party said that a delegation of ten AAP MLAs met Mr. Saxena and appealed to him to not interfere with the constitutionally mandated division of powers in Delhi.
When contacted, the L-G’s office did not offer a comment.
‘Sidelining Minister’s corruption’
Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said AAP’s statements clearly showed that the AAP government is now preparing grounds for confrontation with the new L-G of Delhi.
He added that despite the “matter of tainted Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain” being of foremost priority for Delhi’s people and the country, AAP was diverting public attention from it with its leaders Ms. Atishi, Dilip Pandey, Sanjiv Jha and Durgesh Pathak trying to create “controversy” over a meeting of Delhi Jal Board called by the L-G.
Such issues are being “raised to sideline Minister’s corruption,” he added.
Although AAP and the former L-G had multiple face-offs, the party and Mr. Saxena had maintained a cordial relationship so far.
When Mr. Saxena was appointed, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted, “On behalf of the people of Delhi, I extend a warm welcome to the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Mr. Vinai Kumar Saxena. For the betterment of Delhi, he will get full cooperation from the Cabinet of Delhi Government.”
On Wednesday, Ms. Atishi said that meddling with Delhi’s constitutional arrangement will lead to “absolute chaos” all over the Capital.
Referring to the Indian Constitution and the Supreme Court’s statement on the role of a Lt. Governor, Ms. Atishi said, “Under this constitutional framework, the Lieutenant-Governor is appointed by the Central Government to take out three clearly defined facets. These include land, law and order and police.”
Confrontations not new
Bitter confrontations between the AAP Delhi government and Lt. Governors is not new to Delhi.
In 2018, after allegations of AAP leaders assaulting the then Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and protests by bureaucrats, Mr. Kejriwal and three other Cabinet Ministers staged a protest in the visitors’ room at the residence of the then Lt. Governor Anil Baijal and even slept on the couch at Raj Niwas.
AAP was demanding that the bureaucrats be ordered by the L-G to end their four-month-long strike and L-G’s approval to the AAP government’s proposal for doorstep ration delivery.
Another major standoff between AAP and the former L-G includes Mr. Baijal’s overruling of the AAP government’s decision in June 2020 to restrict COVID-19 treatment and admission at both private and State-run city hospitals to those bearing documented proof of residence in Delhi.
