‘BJP government back-stabbed the people of Delhi’

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 <g data-gr-id="34">is</g> 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.