Following a CBI raid against Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal’s Principal Secretary (services) and Staff Officer in a corruption case at Delhi Secretariat, meetings including one on Cabinet, on odd-even formula and on rehabilitation of JJ dwellers were cancelled on Tuesday and no officers and staff were allowed to enter the third floor.
Also, the Delhi Government had put a ban on the media to enter the premises to cover the event.
“Chief Minister cancelled Cabinet meeting and a board meeting of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) on rehabilitation of dwellers which were to be held at Delhi Secretariat due to CBI’s raid,” said a senior Government official.
Besides, meetings on odd-even scheme to be implemented from January 1 could not be held, the official said. Police personnel in a large number were deployed and barricades erected outside Delhi Secretariat to prevent any protest. Out of the six Cabinet Ministers in the Kejriwal Government, only three -Transport minister Gopal Rai, Tourism minister Kapil Mishra and Social Welfare minister Sandeep Kumar - came to Secretariat, but left after a few hours.
According to officials, as CBI officials raided the office of Kumar around 9.25 am, entry of officials and staff was banned on third floor from where the CM runs his Government.
“When CBI officials raided Kumar’s office in the morning, the CM was not at the Delhi Secretariat at that time. There were only around five or seven officials working in the CM office. The probe agency did not allow them to go down and made them sit till late evening,” said a senior official.
Also, the media was not allowed to enter inside the Secretariat. When asked about it, police officials deployed at entry gates said Chief Secretary KK Sharma has issued directions not to allow media persons inside. Attendance of Government employees in the secretariat was less compared to normal days. Sharma and Finance Secretary SN Sahai left Secretariat around 1 PM and thereafter, other senior officials started leaving the office. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal accused the Narendra Modi Government of resorting to vendetta politics and came down heavily on the CBI for the raid.
A CBI spokesperson, however, said the searches were conducted at the office of Kumar. Searches were conducted at 14 locations, the spokesperson said, but did not give details.