Manish Sisodia terms Najeeb Jung’s directions ‘unconstitutional
NEW DELHI:Hours after Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung annulled all bureaucratic postings done in the last four days by the AAP government, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday wrote to the former asking him what provisions under Constitution allow him to issue directions to his government.
Sisodia, in a letter to Jung, has sought information on the provisions under Constitution, GNCT Act and TBR which provide the latter power to issue directions to Delhi government.Earlier in the day, Jung in his letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had written that only
LG has ‘constitutional power, to do transfers and postings.“The power to appoint and to transfer, from steno to IAS officers, is with the LG,” Jung wrote in his letter.In the letter, the LG also challenged AAP government’s order to bureaucrats not to follow his directives without getting approval from CM or any other minister.
Meanwhile, Sisodia also took to Twitter and rebuffed reports which have claimed that 45 officers have gone on leave in protest against the government.“Some media channels are showing that 45 officers have gone on leave in protest. Delhi government has not received any leave application from any officer. If the TV channels have an access to such applications then we request them to send them to us.” Sisodia tweeted.
The tussle over posting and transfer of bureaucrats had reached President’s doors yesterday after both Kejriwal and Jung met Pranab Mukherjee.Kejriwal today also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused his government of trying to run the administration in the national capital.
The Delhi CM charged in the letter that the Central government is trying to rule Delhi through the Lt Governor.Kejriwal has accused Jung of interfering in the working of his elected government.
Emerging after meeting Mukherjee along with Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said yesterday: “We had a good meeting with the President. We told him that the LG is trying to run Delhi the way he did during President’s Rule.”
“We told him that the LG is issuing direction to officers bypassing the Chief Minister and threatening them. If this goes on, where will democracy be?”
Sisodia and Kejriwal informed the President that despite their objections, Jung insisted on appointing Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary. “We later approved (her name) … but now (Jung) is interfering in the appointment of secretaries too.”
