Assembly Speaker Goel attacks LG
New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has jumped into the fray to attack Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal over IAS officers' "strike" and lent his support to the demands of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers staging a sit-in at the LG office since Monday evening.
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government's demands to the LG Baijal include direction to IAS officers to end their "strike", action against those who have struck work for "four months".
It has also asked the LG to approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of rations.
In his letter to Baijal on Tuesday, Goel said that the work of Delhi's development has been affected for the last few months, which was a "well-planned conspiracy" and asked him to get "undeclared strike" by officers called off.
The Speaker said that when IAS officers were asked in the meetings of assembly committees as to why they were not attending ministers' meetings, they said, "We (officers) are not going to these meetings as it is the decision of IAS officers."
"Is it not strike? Don't you (LG) think it is an attack on the interest of Delhi's people? Don't you think it is an insult of people? The only reason behind all these things is the strike of IAS officers...
"Being a supreme administrator, you should get the undeclared strike called off while fulfilling your constitutional responsibilities so that people can breathe a sigh of relief," Goel said in the letter written in Hindi.
Goel told the LG that if he did not take steps, it would not be appropriate for him.
The IAS officers' association has maintained that "no officer is on strike and no work has been affected".
During the Budget Session in March, Goel had hit out at Baijal after he communicated to him that he could not admit questions on reserved subjects including law and order, services and land.
Meanwhile, sources said that the LG had meetings with the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior officials, which is was why he could not come to office on Wednesday.
