L-G holding 'parallel' meetings with officials 'behind back' of elected govt, alleges Delhi CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Lt Governor Anil Baijal of holding "parallel" meetings with officials "behind the back" of the elected government. Kejriwal's remarks came in response to a tweet by LG Baijal sharing details of a Covid review and preparedness meeting held by him along with top Delhi officials, including Chief Secretary Vijay Dev.

New Delhi: The long-drawn power tussle between the Delhi LG and the AAP dispensation resurfaced on Wednesday with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing Anil Baijal of holding "parallel" meetings with officials "behind the back" of the elected government. Kejriwal's remarks came in response to a tweet by Lt Governor Baijal sharing details of a Covid review and preparedness meeting held by him along with top Delhi officials, including Chief Secretary Vijay Dev.

The chief minister, in a tweet, said holding "parallel" meetings by the LG was against the Constitution and Supreme Court judgement and asked Baijal to avoid holding such direct meetings with officials. "It is against Constitution and SC CB judgement to hold such parallel meetings behind the back of elected govt. We are a democracy. People have elected a council of ministers. If you have any questions, please ask ministers. Avoid holding direct meetings with officers. Let's respect democracy, sir," he tweeted.

In the COVID review meeting by Baijal which was objected to by Kejriwal, apart from the chief secretary, senior officers such as the additional chief secretary (home and health), divisional commissioner and secretary (health) were also present. Baijal advised the Health department officers to commission oxygen production and storage facilities by August 30, arrange medicines stocks for Covid and black fungus and ramp up targeted testing, in view of a possible third wave of the viral infection.

Read:Free Wi-Fi facility to continue in Delhi, Kejriwal govt gives its approval

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had last month raised the issue of Baijal holding meetings with senior Delhi officers over issues, he claimed, was under the jurisdiction of the elected Aam Aadmi Party government. Sisodia in July shot a letter to Baijal objecting to the L-G holding meetings with officers without information of ministers concerned and instructing them on works that "fall under the purview of the elected government", saying it was "unconstitutional" and against the verdict of the Supreme Court.

The deputy chief minister, whose AAP government is mired in a long-running power tussle with the Centre-appointed LG, had urged Baijal to desist from such actions. In reply, Baijal had asserted that he was working within the ambit of Constitutional provisions and Supreme Court order, rebutting the charge of him encroaching upon the jurisdiction of the elected government in Delhi.

In his letter to Sisodia, Baijal had rejected as "baseless, lacking facts and evidence" the latter's charges of him holding meetings with bureaucrats and instructing them about works that fall under the purview of the elected government. The latest round of tussle that started with the Home Ministry notifying GNCTD (Amendment) Act, 2021, in April empowering the LG as effective in-charge of Delhi, has also seen him differing with the AAP dispensation over the appointment of special prosecutors in cases related to the 2020 Delhi riots and violence and vandalism on Republic Day in the city this year.

PTI