‘Kartavya Patra, not Prem Patra’: LG writes to Kejriwal on ‘love letter’ remark

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena accused chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues of ‘running away from Constitutional duties’ and ‘crossing all boundaries of propriety’

A day after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made a “love letter” remark against lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena, the latter on Friday wrote to the Aam Aadmi Party leader saying that his communication should be accepted as a ‘Kartavya Patra’ (letter of duty) from the “Constitutional guardian” of the city.

Arvind Kejriwal retorted by calling VK Saxena’s letter as ‘another love letter’. (File Photos)

In a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Thursday, Kejriwal compared his working association with Saxena to his relationship with his wife, saying she neither “scolds him” nor writes “as many love letters” to him as the LG does -- a likely reference to the several probes that the latter has ordered against the government in the Capital.

Responding to it, Saxena in his six-page letter to Kejriwal on Friday said he hopes the communication being referred as a “love letter” (Prem Patra) should be accepted as a ‘Kartavya Patra’ (Letter of duty) from the “Constitutional guardian” of the city. He also accused Kejriwal and his colleagues of “running away from Constitutional duties” and “crossing all boundaries of propriety”.

Kejriwal on Saturday retorted by calling it “another love letter” and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to destroy the lives of people of Delhi through the LG.

Saxena said that it is highly regrettable that when he attempted to highlight the shortcomings in the administration as per his constitutional mandate, the chief minister and his colleagues tried to lead people astray by making baseless and personal allegations against him.

Saxena wrote that the ruling dispensation in Delhi is running on the basis of mere advertisements and speeches and is alienated from basic works of public interest.

Responding to the letter, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi: “Today I have received another love letter...BJP is trying to destroy the lives of the people of Delhi through LG. He daily creates a new ruckus on one issue or another. I want to assure the people of Delhi that until this son of yours is alive, you do not need to worry. I will not let anything affect you.”

Saxena’s letter also referred to a letter he received on Wednesday from deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged toll tax scam in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Sisodia had accused the LG of being partisan in not initiating a probe in the matter while also alleging that Saxena was constantly making fake allegations and ordering probes against the “elected government of Delhi” with an intention of bringing its work to standstills.

The LG said that he has been completely impartial in discharging his constitutional duties. “I have tried to highlight lapses and acted against corruption in all departments including DDA (Delhi Development Authority), MCD and Delhi Police. I had sought detailed reports on allegations related to toll tax collection and the factual reports show that MCD has revoked the contract of the private agency for not making timely payments and legal action is being undertaken for recovery. The matter is also under consideration in Supreme Court, Delhi high court, Bombay High court and National company law tribunal,” Saxena said.

The LG said that under a well-planned manner, the Delhi chief minister and his colleagues make false allegations against people, “cause damage to their public reputation” and later “shamelessly seek forgiveness” after achieving the political goals of such accusations. He mentioned former union finance minister Arun Jaitley, union minister Nitin Gadkari and former Punjab minister Vikramjeet Singh Majeethia, as people whom Kejriwal accused something of and later apologised.

Saxena listed 11 interventions and probes he has ordered such as the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, files being sent to him without the chief minister’s signature, probe in the construction of classrooms in government schools as per the CVC report, delay in CAG audits, delay in the approval of files related to translocation of trees in critical infrastructure projects, embezzlement of ₹20 cr in water bills in DJB, pending audits of state universities, shortcomings in the appointment of contract teachers, delay in payments of workers engaged by DJB for sewage cleaning and absence of Delhi government representatives on Gandhi Jayanti.