Centre backs LG, says not mandatory to consult CM on services

New Delhi, May 22

Amid the escalating LG-CM feud, the Centre today backed Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung making it clear that it was not mandatory for him to consult Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on matters like appointment of bureaucrats.

In a gazette notification issued today, the Union Home Ministry said the LG will have jurisdiction over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult with the Chief Minister whenever he thinks necessary in issues of services using his own "discretion".

It is well established that where there is no legislative power, there is no executive power since executive power is co-extensive within legislative power, it said.

"Public order, police, land and services fall outside purview of legislative assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and consequently the Government of NCT of Delhi will have no executive power" on such matters, accordingly to the notification.

The gazette notification said the LG shall in respect of matter connected with public order, police, land and services exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the central government to the extent delegated to him from time to time by President provided that the LG may in his discretion obtain view of the Chief Minister of Delhi in regard to the matter of "services" wherein he deems it appropriate.

It also said that the Anti-Corruption Branch police station shall not take cognisance of offences against officials, employees and functionaries of these central government services. This will supersede a 1998 notification.

Meanwhile, in a frontal attack on the Modi Government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused it of trying to run Delhi through "backdoor" to protect the corrupt and said it had "back-stabbed" the people of the city by issuing a notification "siding" with the Lt Governor.

The Chief Minister charged that Jung is just the face and the orders to him are coming from the PMO. "Pre-independence, Queen of England used to send notifications to the Viceroy here. Now, Jung Sahab is the Viceroy and PMO is London."                

He said the AAP Government was taking views of constitutional experts on the notification and a decision will be taken accordingly.

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that the development showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were "kneeling down" before corruption and the "thriving transfer-posting industry" which the AAP government had stopped in the last three months.

"Earlier, a lot of money was changing hands for transfers but now that has ended under AAP Government's three-month rule. Once we did it, the Congress and BJP people failed to get contracts in Delhi. Then they went to the PMO.

"Now, they have brought this notification as the BJP and Congress want to have their own officers in Delhi and get government contracts for their own people and that is why they want control over the transfer-posting industry through the LG. By bringing in the notification, the Centre has back-stabbed the people of Delhi," the Chief Minister told reporters.

Kejriwal pointed out that it also said that anti-Corruption Branch police station shall not take any cognisance of offences against officials, employees and functionaries of central government services and wondered who were the people Modi government was "trying to protect".

He said such actions amount to promoting corruption.

Claiming that his government is the "most honest" government in the history of Delhi, Kejriwal said Jung has "never asked about water or electricity supply for the people of Delhi. He is only interested in transfers and postings."           

The Delhi Chief Minister said "Modi government is trying to run Delhi with three BJP MLAs through backdoor."

The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by LG last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and the Lt Governor, with Kejriwal questioning the LG's authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration. 

Kejriwal should be called 'controversywal', says BJP

BJP dubbed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal "controversywal" on Friday, accusing him of creating controversies and using them as diversions to run away from his responsibilities.

The party also said Delhi government had nothing to show in its 100 days of being in power.

"I sometimes think that Kejriwal and controversy are made for each other. If you see Kejriwal's behaviour from the very beginning, he has been moving forward by giving birth to a controversy every day. If Kejriwal can be called controversywal, then it would not be bad," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, speaking at #Modi365, a conclave organised by CNN IBN to mark a year of BJP government in office.

"He (Kejriwal) will create a new story every day and runs away. He had started with hit and run...level allegations against somebody and then ran away. By creating such controversies, he wants to run away from the responsibility he has. He wants to make controversies his shield and run away from the responsibilities given to him by the people," Naqvi said.

Attacking Kejriwal, BJP’s national spokesperson MJ Akbar said, he had become a little addicted to making allegations with no truth in them.

"When a politician has no options left on issues of governance, they use such diversionary tactics and one of such diversionaery tactic of Delhi government is to seek confrontation with everyone and quarrels at the drop of a comment," Akbar said. PTI