The tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government and the Centre in Delhi over handling of chikungunya and dengue outbreak got uglier on Saturday with lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung refusing to meet two city Ministers in Raj Niwas.
A day after Jung asked Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to cut short his visit to Finland in view of the outbreak of vector-borne diseases, Water Resources Minister Kapil Mishra and Health Minister Satyedra Jain — landed up at Jung’s Niwas to seek clarification on why he had asked the Deputy CM to return back to Delhi when the Health Minister is himself present in the national Capital.
The two Ministers later said that they were informed by the l-G’s Office that since they had not taken a prior appointment, he could not meet them as it was his weekend. The office of the l-G refused to open the gate for the two Ministers. The Ministers, who waited outside the l-G Office for around 20 minutes said no appointment was sought since Jung had sent an “urgent” fax to the Deputy Chief Minister and that they thought Jung must have something important to talk about.
An angry Kapil Mishra retorted, saying there was no need for an appointment to discuss urgent matters like the outbreak of diseases. He told reporters, “We were told that it’s off today and he (Jung) does not sit in the office. We called him, but he was also not at his home. It appears he is not in a mood to work today”. Mishra appealed to the l-G to skip his offs on Saturday and Sunday and come to work to handle chikungunya and dengue outbreak. “Our mohalla clinics also work on weekends this time. There is no weekend for us, we are all working”, said Mishra adding that “they went to lt Governor’s office since he sent an urgent fax last night to Manish Sisodia, but he wasn’t there as he doesn’t work on weekends.” Mishra has also written a letter to Jung asking why Sisodia has been asked to cut short his trip to Finland saying the l-G could have discussed the health issue with him and Jain.
On the other hand, Jain said he had spoken to the l-G and had even sent him a fax as well. “But he said that he would not want to talk about it…The l-G should call me, I am Health Minister, not the Dy CM....Why can’t the l-G go with me to the hospitals to meet the patients”. Jain tweeted: “Went to l-G office. Asked on phone if anything urgent as he faxed yty to recall deputy CM. Ans: nothing urgent to discuss, no time today.”
later in a Press statement, Raj Niwas strongly rebutted charges levelled by Jain and Mishra and retorted that it was operational on all seven days of the week and the Ministers did not seek prior appointment even as it accused the AAP Government of politicising the issue when the city was grappling with a health crisis. The l-G’s Office said that it is “regrettable” that at a time when Delhi is facing such a serious public health crisis, the elected Government is choosing to “politicise” the issue instead of providing succour to the public.
The statement said: “Hon’ble Minister Satyendra Jain and Minister Kapil Mishra came to the lt-Governor’s Office at 11.45 am on September 17 without either seeking prior appointment from the lt.-Governor or intimating him of their visit. The lt- Governor’s office came to know of their visit only through the media gathered outside, who had prior intimation that they were going to visit the lt- Governor’s office”.
It said, “Secretary to the lt Governor met the Ministers since the lt-Governor’s office is operational on all days of the week. However, they neither submitted any letter nor gave any representation to the lt-Governor. The lt-Governor’s office is keeping a close watch on the health situation in Delhi and is getting regular updates on the situation from the Chief Secretary and Secretary (H & FW), GNCTD.
Now the AAP Government is questioning the rationale and the motive behind the l-G summoning Sisodia back from Europe if he has no time to meet Ministers who were waiting at the gates of Raj Niwas. The l-G himself had returned back from the United States two days ago.
It is learnt that Government officials also contacted Sisodia, who is currently in Finland’s capital Helsinki, to check whether he had received any communication from Raj Niwas. “We were told that neither the Dy CM nor the Indian Embassy in Helsinki had received any order or communication from the lt Governor’s office, asking him to come back. In any case, he was scheduled to return on Sunday, September 18.”
Sisodia is returning from Finland on Sunday while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has undergone throat surgery in Bangaluru on Wednesday and is likely to be back by September 22.