Delhi trying to ‘hijack’ Modi Govt’s 1st-year anniversary, alleges BJP
Raising the stakes in its fight with lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the Arvind Kejriwal Government on Saturday decided to call a two-day ‘emergency’ session of the Delhi Assembly from Tuesday to deliberate on the Centre’s notification of giving absolute powers to him in the appointment of bureaucrats and issues of police and public order.
The decision to hold the special session was taken at a Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Assembly was due to meet in June for the passage of the Budget. Meanwhile, in a related development, the AAP Government has convened an open Cabinet meeting at Central Park on Monday on completion of its 100 days in office. It is learnt that the Cabinet Ministers will interact with the public here, which will be a first in Delhi. According to sources, Kejriwal’s strength is his 67 MlAs and this two-day Assembly session will showcase this strength, where the CM is expected to hijack the proceedings to accuse the Centre for curtailing powers of his Government.
“In this two-day session, the Kejriwal Government will pass a resolution, condemning the Centre for bringing the gazette notification and curtailing powers of the elected Government. The CM will further inform people how the AAP is being victimised by the Modi Government. AAP MlAs will also highlight their Government’s achievement in its last 100 days in office,” said party sources.
“The AAP Government is trying to hijack the Central Government’s first anniversary celebrations just to grab media’s attention by inviting them to cover live proceedings,” said BJP MlA Vijender Gupta, adding that the AAP is unnecessarily dragging the Centre in this issue.
“If transfers and postings are a big ‘industry,’ why does Kejriwal want to be a part of itIJ” asked Gupta. Earlier the Kejriwal Government had also sought the opinion of legal and Constitutional experts over the notification. Former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam termed the MHA’s notification ‘illegal and unconstitutional” in the transfer and posting.
“legal opinions from noted constitutional expert KK Venugopal and former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam were placed before the Cabinet and discussed in the meeting,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said. In his opinion, that was sought by Kejriwal over the Narendra Modi Government’s decree, the senior counsel said: “It singularly lacks propriety when the president is still seized with the question.”
“It is illegal and unconstitutional and presumably, it has been issued without the requisite Presidential approval,” he added. The nine-page opinion addressed to the Chief Minister was sent on Friday.
Earlier, former PCI chairman and former Supreme Court justice Markandey Katju on Saturday supported Kejriwal in the ongoing battle with Jung. “Democratic way of resolving it is that we accept @ArvindKejriwal’s view, bcoz he is head of a democratically elected body, while Jung is not,” Katju tweeted.
The MHA on Thursday night issued the notification stating that the lieutenant Governor has primacy in postings and transfers of officers belonging to Central services. After the notification was issued, Kejriwal had launched a frontal attack on the Centre, accusing it of “backstabbing” the people of the city by “siding” with the lt Governor to run Delhi through “backdoor” and protect the corrupt. Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had also criticised the notification, terming it as an attempt to “save the transfer-posting industry being run in Delhi”.
The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Doley Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by l-G last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and l-G, with Kejriwal questioning the l-G’s authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration.