Delhi LG writes to Kejriwal over ‘absence’ at October 2 event, Sisodia hits back

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several other dignitaries attended these programmes.

Delhi’s lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Monday wrote to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging “dereliction of duties and responsibilities” over his absence from official programmes at Rajghat and Vijay Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries on October 2, and said that these amounted to “serious breach of protocol and deliberate disrespect and insult to the President”.

Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his birth anniversary, at Rajghat in New Delhi, Sunday. (PTI)

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several other dignitaries attended these programmes. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was the only senior Delhi government representative present -- and he, too, left the venue without waiting for President Murmu to arrive, Saxena said in the letter.

While the function at Rajghat is organised by the Union housing and urban affairs ministry, the function at Vijay Ghat is organised by the Delhi government, which issues invitations in the name of the chief minister.

Saxena wrote in his letter that protocol dictated Kejriwal accompanied the LG in receiving the dignitaries. The chief minister also did not nominate any minister on his behalf for the programme, the letter added.

The AAP, in response, said the letter was sent due to political motivations, and Sisodia advised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to follow Gandhi and Shastri’s path instead of indulging in politics over their birth anniversaries.

Kejriwal was on a trip to poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday.

“While your personal presence on the occasion would have been befitting, since you were travelling as per a prior political commitment, it would have been in the gracious fitness of things to have nominated a senior minister on your behalf to be present on the occasion to pay homage to Bapu and Shastriji, as also receive, accompany and see off the President and vice-president,” LG Saxena wrote.

“What makes this absence all the more unacceptable and appalling is the fact that President and the vice president were duly invited for the programme after approval from CM. In accepting the invite from Delhi government, the President’s Secretariat had clearly apprised the chief minister through his additional secretary that it was expected of the chief minister to be present at the programme and receive the President at Vijay Ghat,” he added.

“I would like to emphasise that the entire episode is indicative of disrespect and disregard of your government towards the constitutional offices of the President and other dignitaries, as also gross apathy and dereliction of duties and responsibilities on your part,” the LG said.

The AAP claimed the letter was sent on “instructions” from the Centre.

“CM has always attended Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri jayanti programmes in last several years. CM was in Gujarat on that day and that’s why he could not attend the programme. It is important to understand the reason for LG’s letter. CM addressed a very massive rally in tribal area of Gujarat against empty chairs in PM’s programme in Ahmedabad just two days back. PM is livid. The letter has been written by LG on PM’s instructions,” an AAP spokesperson said in a statement that was also tweeted by Sisodia later.

The development comes amid an ongoing confrontation between the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government run by the AAP, fuelled by various issues, including Saxena recommending a probe into Delhi’s liquor policy in which Sisodia has been named as an accused.

Sisodia hit out at the BJP over the LG’s letter. “It would have been better had the BJP leaders walked the path shown by Gandhi-Shastri and constructed schools and done something for farmers’ welfare. In the wake of massive support for Arvind Kejriwal, after chairs were empty at PM’s rally, the letter has been written, asking why did the CM not receive the PM.”