New Delhi: The Delhi Government has approached the Supreme Court with a request to withdraw seven ongoing cases that were filed under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration.
These cases, which challenge the authority of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) in key governance areas, including the management of solid waste, the cleaning of the Yamuna river, and the validity of certain Acts and Ordinances, are now being reconsidered under the current BJP-led administration.
The Delhi Government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, has called for an end to these legal disputes, stating that they no longer need judicial intervention.
Appearing on behalf of the Delhi Government, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Bench, headed by Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, that the government wished to put an end to these legal matters.
Bhati emphasised that the cases should no longer burden the court, asserting that these issues had already been resolved politically and administratively under the current BJP-led Delhi Government.
Justice Surya Kant responded by confirming that the court would take up the application and list it for hearing on Friday, May 23, 2025.
The cases in question are related to disputes over the jurisdiction and authority of the L-G in managing key functions of Delhi’s governance, such as waste management and environmental issues like the cleaning of the Yamuna river.
One of the prominent cases in the series dates back to July 2023 when the Supreme Court had stayed an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The NGT had mandated that the Lieutenant Governor head a high-level committee tasked with overseeing the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, following concerns about the river’s severe pollution levels, which were reported to be significantly higher than other river basins in India.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Delhi Government’s plea against the NGT’s order directing the L-G to head a multi-departmental committee.
Notices were issued to the concerned parties. The Delhi Government’s move to withdraw related cases signals a major shift in its legal standoff with the Lieutenant Governor’s office over administrative authority.