Miffed over the appointment of IAS officer Dilraj Kaur as Member Secretary of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday hit out at lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, likening him to “Adolf Hitler” and said he will never become India’s Vice-President since the Central Government will never give a Muslim the post.
“l-G is acting like Hitler, following in footsteps of his masters Mr Modi n Amit Shah,” Kejriwal tweeted on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the l-G office said the appointment of Kaur was necessitated by retirement of Alka Dewan, who previously held the post, on November 30. “The post fell vacant so a stopgap arrangement was made. This is a temporary appointment as the l-G felt the post should not remain vacant considering its importance,” an official in the l-G office said. The l-G office also rejected the Government’s contention that a proposal made by it with regard to the appointment was pending with it. “In fact we have asked the Chief Secretary to come up give us the Government’s recommendation if any.”
However, the appointment emerged as yet another flashpoint between Kejriwal and Jung. The move comes eight days after the CM sought removal of incumbent Alka Dewan terming her appointment “unconstitutional”.
“In order to become the Vice-President, Najeeb Jung has sold his soul to Modi. Jung may do what he likes, but Modi will never make a Muslim the Vice-President,” Kejriwal said in another tweet in Hindi.
The tenure of the current Vice-President, Hamid Ansari, ends next year.
Kaur, who is Secretary (Social Welfare), has been given additional charge of Member Secretary in the women panel.
“The l-G is pleased to order that Dr. Dilraj Kaur, IAS (AGMUT: 2000), Secretary (Social Welfare/W&CD) shall also hold the additional charge of Member Secretary, Delhi Commission for Women till further orders,” reads an order issued by the Services Department on Tuesday.
last month, Kejriwal had written to Jung saying, “It is shocking that the Member Secretary was recently appointed to DCW by you without her name being nominated by the elected Government. It is noted that Alka Dewan has resigned from the post of member secretary after the controversy erupted.
“The Government had already nominated a certain name and without considering it, Alka Dewan was nominated to the post. The appointment is unconstitutional and against the order of Delhi High Court and DCW Act.”
Also, he had said the part-time appointment of Dewan is therefore null and void.
“It is recommended that she may be immediately withdrawn and in future all appointments to the Commission are made only after due nomination of the same by elected Government,” he had said
The AAP has repeatedly accused Jung of being a BJP agent and having aspirations of becoming the V-P, an appointment often done to “appease” minorities or reward loyalists, as has been the case earlier.
In its ongoing tussle with the Centre, the AAP has also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the BJP, calling them anti-Muslim.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal said Kaur’s appointment by the l-G was an attempt to attack the “autonomy and independence” of the Commission. “The appointment of the Member Secretary is unconstitutional and illegal as due procedure has not been followed. The nomination by the Delhi Government and its concurrence, which is a prerequisite for the appointment of the Member Secretary has not been taken,” Maliwal said in a statement.