Centre delaying appointment of new ministers: Govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 16

The Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, today accused the Centre of “sitting” on the files of appointment of two new ministers to “deliberately stall” the Delhi Government’s work.

 The Chief Minister claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was delaying the approval, asking it not to avenge it on people of Delhi.

He was joined by his Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who claimed that the Centre wants to “paralyse” the Delhi Government, saying that the “holding back of files” amounted to violation of the Constitution.

“The Centre has been  sitting on the files (of appointment of two new ministers) for the past 10 days. Many government activities are stalled due to this. Your enmity is with us, don’t take revenge from the people of Delhi,” he tweeted.

Sisodia said now the sacked minister, Kapil Mishra’s indefinite fast and the “media’s drama” have ended, it is time to clear the files”.

Addressing reporters later the Deputy Chief Minister said it is the Chief Minister’s prerogative to induct elected persons in his cabinet. “It is surprising why the Centre is trying to paralyse the Delhi Government by violating the Constitution. What is the Constitutional point the Centre has been considering for the past 10 days?” Sisodia asked.

He added this is for the first time in the past 25 years that the Centre has held back such files pertaining to the appointment of ministers.

It was after former Water Resources and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra 

was sacked on May 6 following a meeting of the Delhi Cabinet, two AAP legislators — Rajendra Pal Gautam and Kailash Gehlot — were inducted in the cabinet. Thereafter, the files pertaining to the appointment was sent for approval of the Centre the same day, but no word 

has come yet on the same, said a senior government  official.

In the Delhi Government while Kejriwal holds no portfolio, the other ministers currently in his cabinet are Gopal Rai, Satyendar Jain, Imran Hussain, besides Sisodia who has been taking care of social welfare and women and child welfare among others after AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar was sacked last year after a controversial video surfaced.he Constitution allows the Delhi Government to have a maximum of seven ministers.