LG writes to Kejriwal, alleges ‘unconstitutional brazenness, intimidation, disregard of rules’ by AAP govt

Delhi Ministers Gopal Rai, Atishi Marlena, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain and Saurabh Bhardwaj wait outside the residence of Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena to meet him over alleged non-implementation of the Supreme Court order, in New Delhi, on May 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday alleging “unconstitutional brazenness, intimidation and disregard of rules and procedures” by the AAP government following the Supreme Court verdict on services matters.

In the letter, the lieutenant governor said that in the past one week, a “gloomy face of governance” emerged in Delhi where “organised, structured and specialised administrative machinery” is yet again facing the “brunt” of “highhandedness” of the political executive.

“I write to you to bring to your notice the unconstitutional brazenness, intimidation and disregard of rules and procedures being indulged into by your government and its ministers, especially…(Services) Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, ever since the Constitution Bench judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 11.05.2023,” Mr. Saxena’s letter read.

Alleging a “chaotic style of governance”, Mr. Saxena claimed that decisions were being conveyed to him through Twitter and the media and that he was being held to ransom through consistent media pressure.

The Delhi government was given executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in an important verdict by the Supreme Court last week.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s cabinet ministers met Mr. Saxena on Friday over the issue of transfer of the services secretary.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has alleged that the lieutenant governor was yet to clear the file on the transfer of the services secretary sent two days ago.