Is Centre ‘conspiring’ to overturn Supreme Court order on services matters, asks Kejriwal

PTI

New Delhi, May 19

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked on Friday whether the Centre was “conspiring” to reverse through an ordinance the Supreme Court verdict giving the elected government executive powers in services matters.

The Delhi government was given executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in an important verdict by the Supreme Court last week.

Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also asked whether the lieutenant governor and the Centre were “conspiring” to reverse the verdict by bringing in an ordinance.

Addressing a press conference, the minister and AAP leader said he requested all his cabinet colleagues to join him for a meeting with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to request him to clear the file pertaining to the transfer of Services Secretary Ashish More.

Later in a tweet, Kejriwal reiterated Bharadwaj’s charge.

“Why is LG sir not obeying the SC order? Why hasn’t the file pertaining to Services Secretary been signed for two days? It is being said that the Centre is going to reverse the SC order by bringing an ordinance next week? Is the Centre conspiring to overturn the SC order? Is LG sir waiting for the ordinance and that’s why he is not signing the file?” Kejriwal asked in a tweet in Hindi.

Earlier in the day, Bharadwaj requested the lieutenant governor (LG) to clear the file related to the transfer of Services Secretary More, saying several administrative changes were held up due to the delay.

In a letter to the LG, Bharadwaj said the Delhi government had sent the file two days ago.

More was transferred hours after a Supreme Court order on May 11 put the control of bureaucrats working with the Delhi government—excluding those related to police, public order and land—under the elected government.

Bharadwaj urged Saxena to clear the file soon.

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