Don’t be ‘selective’, Arvind Kejriwal writes to Lt Governor over SC order

In a letter to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he should either take a position that all the matters be placed before a regular bench or implement the order.

In a second letter in four days, AAP supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal countered Lt Governor Anil Baijal on how he can be “selective” in accepting the Supreme Court’s judgment over power sharing in the national capital. The top court order last week said the real power in Delhi lies with its elected government and not with L-G, the Centre’s representative. Presenting his arguments, Kejriwal said L-G should either take a position against the order or implement in “letter and spirit”.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, address the media after meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in New Delhi, on July 6, 2018. (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

“How can you be selective in accepting the judgement? Either you should take a position that all the matters now would be placed before regular bench and therefore, you would not implement any part of the order. Or you should accept the whole order and implement it. How can you say that you will accept this para of the order but not accept that para of the same order?” Kejriwal said in his letter.

He, however, said that Lt Governor can approach the Supreme Court for clarification in case of any confusion on the order.

Clearing the scheme that will enable 1,100 senior citizens from each Assembly constituency in Delhi to undertake free pilgrimage, Chief Minister Kejriwal tweeted, “Mukhyamantri teerth yatra yojana approved. All objections overruled...”

The AAP dispensation, following the Supreme Court verdict that empowered it to take executive decisions on subjects other than land, police and public order, has been sparring with the Centre and the L-G over the issue of control on the services department.

Hours after the Supreme Court’s judgment, the Delhi government introduced a new system for transfer and postings of bureaucrats, making the chief minister the approving authority.

However, the services department refused to comply, saying the Supreme Court did not abolish the notification issued in 2016 which made the MHA the authority for transfers and postings.

Addressing the media after a meeting with the L-G on Friday, the first after his nine-day sit-in, Kejriwal said the Centre and L-G are interpreting the court’s judgment in a “queer” manner and this would lead to anarchy in the country.