CM sounds Prez on LG by-passing government

Expressing concern over Jung’s working style, the duo told the President that bypassing the Chief Minister was not good for a democracy.

“We also told the President that the Lieutenant Governor is directly issuing instructions to officers, bypassing the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers,” Sisodia told reporters, after meeting the President. He added, “We told the President that LG is trying to run the Delhi government on his own terms. We have apprised him of the recent developments.”

The leaders apprised the President of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s view on <g data-gr-id="43">controversy</g> over the appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as Acting Chief Secretary of Delhi during the vacation period of Chief Secretary KK Sharma. Kejriwal had sought a meeting with the President on Saturday, following his face-off with Jung over Gamlin’s appointment.

Earlier in the day, Jung also met the President and apprised him of his stand on the controversy. According to sources in the LG secretariat, Jung informed the President about the ‘non-constitutional’ decisions taken by the Kejriwal government. Before meeting the President, Jung also called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and briefed him about the development.

Meanwhile, Gamlin attended a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Kejriwal, on Tuesday. She is also reported to have cleared files pending in the Chief Minister’s office.

The fight between Kejriwal and Jung dragged one more IAS officer of the 1984 batch, Arvind Ray, in the already brewing appointment controversy. In an earlier Cabinet meeting, Ray was appointed Principal Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), without the LG’s approval.

Earlier, Sisodia had taken the charge of both – GAD and Services Department from Principal Secretary Anindo Majumdar and handed it over to Rajender Kumar, Secretary to the Chief Minister, as <g data-gr-id="49">additional</g> charge. Jung said Majumdar is secretary of GAD and Services Department. However, Kejriwal considers Ray the one in charge of GAD and Rajender Kumar as that of Services Department.

It is worth mentioning that both the offices of Majumdar are locked since Monday. Ray was kept in waiting, after being ousted from the post of Principal Secretary-Home. Sisodia had ordered Majumdar’s removal on Saturday, after the Services Department issued an order, notifying Gamlin’s appointment as Acting Chief Secretary on Friday. The same evening, Jung had termed Majumdar’s transfer ‘void’.

Meanwhile, two legal luminaries – Rajiv Dhawan and Indira Jaisingh – have come out in Kejriwal’s support. In an official communiqué to the government, the duo has supported the Delhi government in a dispute with the LG, saying that the former should have referred the matter to the President.

Ray was removed from the post of Principal Secretary-Home on LG’s directions as he had signed orders for three magisterial inquiries – a gang-rape in East Delhi, police scuffle with two AAP MLAs and suicide of <g data-gr-id="44">farmer</g> Gajendra Singh in an AAP rally. The power to order a magisterial inquiry vests with the LG, Jung had maintained.