Probes ordered by Delhi LG politically motivated, unconstitutional: Manish Sisodia

Delhi DyCM Manish Sisodia writes to LG after inquiry ordered in power subsidy scheme, claims probes "politically motivated, unconstitutional".

New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday wrote to LG V K Saxena, accusing him of bypassing the elected government in Delhi and ordering inquiries into its works in a "politically motivated and unconstitutional" manner. Sisodia's attack came hours after Saxena directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to conduct a probe into the alleged irregularities in the AAP government's power subsidy scheme, and submit a report within seven days.

"Every single investigation ordered by the LG is illegal and unconstitutional; he can't interfere in the democratically elected government's work," Sisodia said. The deputy chief minister said land, police, public order and services are the only subjects under the purview of the LG and he has "no authority to issue directions on any matter beyond them".

"All directions issued by the LG are politically motivated; nothing has been found in any of the investigations ordered by him. Request the LG to maintain dignity of the office he holds and work as per the word of the Constitution," Sisodia said. Citing media reports, Sisodia said he sees how news everyday is filled with the reports of the LG bypassing the "democratically elected government in Delhi" while ordering investigations every now and then.

All the investigations ordered by you are illegal and unconstitutional, he said. Sisodia said a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has clearly laid down the law that the L-G of Delhi has to act on the aid and advice of the democratically elected government of Delhi on all matters except the ones related to Land, Police and Public Order and Services.

"The L-G cannot initiate and stop work or order investigation in the matters falling in the jurisdiction of democratically elected government without the permission of the government. "If the L-G has to order an investigation, he has to write a letter to the concerned minister or the chief minister. The LG cannot give direct instructions to the officer to start an investigation on any subjects except the four falling under L-G's jurisdiction," he stressed in the letter.

Sisodia asked the LG to revoke the instructions issued by him to the chief secretary. "It has come to our notice that L-G has given back-to-back orders to the Chief Secretary to investigate the decisions of the democratically elected government of Delhi. They do not fall in the jurisdiction of the L-G set by the Supreme Court.

"It is not possible to follow the decisions you have taken on your own by ousting the democratically elected government. You should revoke the instructions you have given to the Chief Secretary," the letter said. Requesting Saxena to work as per the "constitutional setup of Delhi", Sisodia said "such bogus and frivolous scams serve no one".

He cited the examples of how nothing came out of the probe into the alleged bus procurement scam, school scam, liquor scam. "It only wastes the time of all the departments and shatters the morale of all the officers," he added. (PTI)