Kejriwal Slams L-G after Much-awaited Weekly Meeting; L-G Office Hits Back

New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Amid the escalating tussle between the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the L-G on Friday to discuss several issues.

After the meeting, Kejriwal held a press briefing and launched a scathing on the L-G, terming several orders passed by Saxena as 'illegal' in the light of the 2018 Supreme Court decision.

"L-G's interference is increasing. Government works are being hampered which is causing inconvenience to the people of Delhi. We want to work together by sorting out our mutual differences. With this intention, I met the L-G today," Kejriwal said.

"The police, land and public order are reserved for the L-G, but apart from these, rest all are under the purview of the elected government of Delhi. The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had clearly said that the L-G has no right to interfere in matters of transfers. This means the order to seal Jasmine Shah's office, appointment of presiding officer, aldermen (for MCD meeting), the order to recover Rs 163 crore, or the order to stop teachers from training abroad are all wrong," Kejriwal said.

"However, the L-G claims that he has been referred to as the 'administrator' and enjoys 'supreme authority'," Kejriwal said.

The Chief Minister added that he informed the L-G that salaries of the employees of many government departments have not been paid for the last three months, including those working at Delhi Transport Corporation, Jal Board, and the government hospitals.

Rubbishing the claims made by Kejriwal, an official in the L-G office said, "All the statements attributed to the L-G by the Chief Minister during his press conference -- be it orders of the Supreme Court, powers as administrator, supremacy over all subjects and directions to officials -- are misleading, patently false, fabricated and twisted to suit a particular agenda."

"The CM will also be well advised to function in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, Parliamentary Acts and Supreme Court's judgments and refrain from running down an existing law just because it has been challenged in the court of law," the official added.