NEW DELHI: Making it a direct confrontation with the Modi government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today accused it of “back-stabbing” the people of the city by issuing a notification “siding” with the Lt Governor to run Delhi through “backdoor” and protect the corrupt.
Kejriwal’s frontal attack on the Centre came following the gazette notification by the Home Ministry giving absolute powers to the LG in appointment of bureaucrats and clarifying that he need not “consult” the chief minister on subjects like police and public order.
Kejriwal, who has been involved in a bitter fight with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over transfer and postings of bureaucrats, said the notification showed the nervousness of the BJP and the Centre over the anti-corruption efforts by his government.
He alleged that Jung is just the face and the orders to him are coming from the PMO. “Pre-independence, Queen of England used to send notifications to the Viceroy here. Now, Jung Sahab is the Viceroy and PMO is London.”
Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia alleged that the issuance of the notification showed that Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were “kneeling down” before corruption as AAP government had stopped the “thriving transfer-posting industry” in the last three months.
The Chief Minister said the AAP government was taking views of constitutional experts on the notification and a decision will be taken accordingly. Sources in the government did not rule out challenging the notification in court.
“Earlier, a lot of money was changing hands for transfers but now that has ended under AAP government’s three-month rule. Once we did it, Congress and BJP people failed to get contracts in Delhi. Then they went to the PMO.
“Now, they have brought this notification as the BJP and the Congress want to have their own officers in Delhi and get government contracts for their own people and that is why they want control over the transfer-posting industry through the LG. By bringing in the notification, the Centre has back- stabbed the people of Delhi,” Kejriwal told reporters.
He said “Modi government is trying to run Delhi with three BJP MLAs through backdoor”.
In the gazette notification issued today, the Home Ministry said that the LG will have jurisdiction over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult with the chief minister whenever he thinks necessary in issues of services using his own “discretion”.
Kejriwal said that the notification also mentioned that anti-corruption branch police station shall not take any cognizance of offences against officials, employees and functionaries of central government services and wondered who were the people Modi government was “trying to protect”.
He said such actions amount to promoting corruption.
“Our government has brought corruption down in its last three months. 36 officials have been arrested and 52 have been suspended. There is terror among corrupt officials and our government is the most honest in the history of Delhi.
“Now, the Centre wants that if ACB sees any sort of corruption by its central government employees, it should overlook it,” he said.
Asked about his fight with Jung, Kejriwal said, “I do not have a fight with Jung sahab. My fight is against corruption … Modi’s government has been afraid of us since AAP got 67 seats in the polls. Central government is creating hurdles in Delhi and despite that, we are working perfectly.”
Claiming that his government is the “most honest” in the history of Delhi, he said Jung has “never asked about water or electricity supply for the people of Delhi. He is only interested in transfers and postings”.
The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by LG last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and the Lt Governor, with Kejriwal questioning the LG’s authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration.
Earlier in a tweet, Kejriwal said, “BJP first lost Del elections. Today’s notification shows BJP’s nervousness abt our anti-corruption efforts. BJP again lost today (sic).”
Sisodia said that it has become clear through this notification that the “Delhi’s transfer-posting industry” is afraid of AAP government.
Kejriwal said the Centre may have to issue another notification “as the existing one has no clarity about transfer and posting of bureaucrats”.
“As per suggestions I have got from experts, Centre has used word ‘services’ in the notification. I have been told that transfer and posting do not come under the ambit of services. Services mean service condition like PF and others,” he said.
“For example, if you go to ONGC on deputation, ONGC has to take decision to send you to Dehradun or Assam, but if you have done something wrong there, your complaint is then registered with your parent cadre. Parent cadre looks into service condition. Perhaps, they (central government) wanted to control over transfer and postings,” he said.
Kejriwal further said, “They (Centre) will perhaps need to issue another notification to control over transfer and postings which they missed to mention in this notification.” –PTI
