In escalation of tension, lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday declared AAP Government’s decision to surrender Secretary (Home) Dharampal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as null and void. Earlier, the AAP Government on Tuesday ordered surrendering Secretary (Home) Dharampal to MHA hours after he signed a notification appointing Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police Mukesh Kumar Meena as new Chief of Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) following order from lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and arrest of law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar by Delhi Police. It is alleged that Delhi Government was kept out of loop in both the cases as being Secretary (Home) he did not apprise Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
Top sources said that Raj Niwas has declared AAP Government’s decision to surrender Dharampal to the MHA as void ab initio as the State Government has no control over the Home Department. According to sources, transfer and posting in Home Department is done by the approval of lieutenant Governor in Delhi. Sources said that Raj Niwas is reported to have directed Dharampal to work as Secretary (Home). There is apprehension that Dharampal may have to face a similar situation faced by his colleague Principal Secretary (Services) Anindo Majumdar whose office was locked by the Government as he had signed the order of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary.
Earlier taking a serious note on the part of Dharampal failing to inform the Government about arrest of its law Minister and ordering of Mukesh Kumar Meena as ACB chief, Secretary (Services) Rajendra Kumar issued an order, surrendering him to MHA. “The competent authority is pleased to order that the services of Dharampal, 1988 batch officer are placed at the disposal of MHA with effect from 9.06.2015 (afternoon) for further posting,” the order said. The AAP Government has given the additional charge of Secretary (Home) to Rajendra Kumar while charge of land and building given to Divisional Commissioner Ashwini Kumar.