L-G overturns Delhi govt's decision to open hotels, weekly markets

New Delhi: Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal once again over a difference of opinion with the Delhi government on Friday overturned the order allowing hotels and weekly markets in Delhi to reopen as part of the Unlock 3 measures, officials here said. However, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party threw its hands in the air, saying that the Centre was trying to undermine a democratically-elected government.

An official statement from the L-G's office said the matter was discussed with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and it was agreed upon that while the situation here was improving, it would be prudent to take a "cautious and conservative approach".

The statement added that while the decision to remove time limits for street vendors was approved by L-G Baijal, the decision to reopen hotels and weekly markets had been deferred "for the time being and would be reviewed later by the SDMA (State Disaster Management Authority)".

This comes a day after the L-G's office vetoed the Delhi Cabinet's decision to reject the Delhi Police's chosen panel of lawyers in the north-east Delhi riots related cases. The L-G and the Delhi government had earlier also disagreed over the effectiveness of home isolation.

AAP spokesperson and MLA Raghav Chadha on Friday fumed over what he called the Centre's proclivity for deriving "sadistic pleasure by inflicting pain and misery on people of Delhi and undermining the democratically elected government of Delhi". Chadha added that nearly 20 lakh people's suffering had been extended due to this move by the L-G.