In a bid to intensify its battle with lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung and the Centre, the AAP Government on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court seeking its direction to restrain Jung-appointed Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief Mukesh Kumar Meena from entering the office.
“Pass an order restraining Meena, 1989-batch IPS officer and Joint Commissioner from entering the office of ACB of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and from interfering in any manner with functioning of the ACB,” said the application, which is likely to be heard on Monday.
In a related development, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday. According to sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Delhi Government to leave its “confrontationist” attitude and stop creating confusion in the administrative appointments.
In its application to the HC, the Delhi Government alleged, “MK Meena has been misusing his power to browbeat officials of the ACB and the Vigilance Department… On numerous occasions, he has put pressure on ACB officers to transfer all cases of corruption involving police personnel from the ACB to the Delhi Police.”
It further said, “The Centre has been repeatedly attempting to interfere with and hamper the smooth functioning of the ACB. The notification, which has been impugned in the writ petition, was the first attempt in this direction.”
The AAP Government has also sought the HC’s direction to implead Meena as a party in the main petition, which has challenged a May 21 notification and the July 23, 2014 notification limiting the ACB’s jurisdiction to the Delhi Government officials only and not the city police which is under the Centre.
Sources in the Delhi Government claimed that Kejriwal and Sisodia apprised Rajnath Singh about the alleged corruption charges against MK Meena. However, the Home Ministry sources said that the CM and the Deputy CM raised only local issues with the Union Minister.
The Centre has told the AAP Government that Delhi is not a full-fledged State and, therefore, it could not seek deputation suo moto from other States, said MHA sources.
The BJP has accused the AAP of trying to politicise the issue. “This is clear politicisation of a Government department. We have asked for details of action taken by the ACB but it was not furnished,” leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said.
He alleged that the AAP Government is trying to run ACB according to its whims and fancies. “Many complaints were made against former law Minister Tomar, but no action was taken by the ACB,” Gupta claimed.
Former member of Parliament Sandeep Dikshit demanded the removal of Additional CP SS Yadav, who has been appointed as ACB chief by the Kejriwal Government. “This is not a joke. You’re not in a drama company,” Dikshit told to ANI.
Chief Minister Kejriwal has sent a secret note to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on June 22 narrating the manner in which the functioning of the ACB is being hampered and requesting him to intervene and direct the lieutenant-Governor and the Delhi Police to stop interfering with the ACB.