Kejriwal takes on Modi govt, demands to know how many consultants were hired by Centre

A fresh round tussle for constitutional power between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Delhi government and Centre is all set to begin. The Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday sought information regarding various officials and consultants appointed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. 

In response to the Union Home Ministry’s letter seeking information on consultants appointed by the Delhi government, Kejriwal wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and sought information about officials hired by Modi government since 2014.

His remarks came after a published report said Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had complained to Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He complained that a railway officer, S K Nagarwal, was found working with the Delhi government while on a leave of study from his department.

After Jung’s letter to the PMO, the Central Home Ministry asked the Delhi government in May to furnish details of all officers on deputation with it.  Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain denied the charge and called it baseless. Kejriwal’s letter was clearly a furious reply. He was agitated by the 

Home Ministry’s order to present the details of IAS and other officials serving in his government. As Delhi is not an independent state and the Lieutenant Governor represents the Centre, the state government is required have LG’s consent on its functioning.

On May 24, the Home Ministry in a letter to the Delhi government had asked to furnish details of all officers on deputation. In its order, the MHA had also instructed the Kejriwal government to provide details of all consultants employed on contract basis. This letter has taken the war between the Centre and the Delhi government to another level.

In response to MHA’s letter, Kejriwal said: “You have sought to know the number of IAS posts now held by other officers. As per my knowledge, there won’t be more than two or three such officers.” Taking on BJP-ruled states, Kejriwal said: “I am confident that the Central government would have also asked for this information from N Chandrababu Naidu, Vasundhara Raje, Devendra Fadnavis and Shivraj Singh Chouhan as well.”

In his letter to the Union Home Minister, Kejriwal asked him how many officers not from the IAS held posts meant for IAS officers in Uttar Pradesh when he (Rajnath Singh) was its Chief Minister.

Kejriwal also asked Rajnath Singh to detail the steps taken by the Central government to contain what he said was the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi. He said he was worried over rising incidents of crime in the Capital. 

“Day-by-day, incidents of rape are increasing. The law and order situation has been badly hit. There is a jungle raj. As the Chief Minister, I am worried. “I request you to tell me what steps have been taken by the central government and the Lieutenant-Governor to contain the situation,” Kejriwal said in his letter.