After Delhi LG VK Saxena wrote to the Centre alleging that the Arvind Kejriwal government is trying to “influence” the justice delivery system, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit back saying courts are the last resort as the officers do not follow ministers’ directions.
The AAP government alleged that attempts are being made to encroach the jurisdiction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and even the lieutenant governor is not taking action against bureaucrats not following ministers’ orders.
“Even after repeated instructions issued by ministers concerned, the Centre’s officers do not act and the lieutenant governor doesn’t respond to requests by the ministers,” the government said in a statement.
“It is quite unfortunate that attempts are being made to encroach the jurisdiction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). The Supreme Court has clearly stated that Delhi has a democratically elected government which is accountable to the people. Delhi cannot be subsumed as a unit of the Union,” it added.
The AAP government further claimed that bureaucrats retain files with themselves indefinitely and do not follow the instructions of ministers.
“Central officials stopped Delhi Jal Board (DJB) funds, Farishte scheme, Smog Towers initiative, due to which two crore Delhiites suffered loss. In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Union of India must exercise its powers within the boundaries created by the Constitution,” it stated.
LG’s Letter To Centre
The Delhi LG Secretariat on Thursday wrote to the Union home secretary over “violations” by the Delhi government and “concerted attempts” to “mislead” courts with the aim to “influence” the justice delivery system.
The Delhi government attempts to “influence” the justice delivery system through filing of “motivated and premeditated” petitions and presenting “patently false” affidavits, Raj Niwas officials said.
The letter from Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena’s principal secretary cited various cases in the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court and the alleged “violations” of the Delhi government with regard to its “dealings” with these courts.
“Of late, there have been concerted attempts at misleading the courts, with an apparent aim of influencing the justice delivery system by way of filing motivated and premeditated petitions and trying to secure an endorsement of the same from the courts by presenting patently false affidavits,” the letter alleged.
It said “GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) Vs the Lt Governor” in various matters in different courts has become the “prevalent norm” rather than an exception.
“The attempts obviously are, apart from misleading the courts, to create a false media narrative which maligns the constitutional office of Lt Governor in the public domain,” said the letter sent to the Union home secretary with Saxena’s approval.
The cases quoted in the letter include matters related to infrastructure in the Delhi High Court and subordinate courts, the release of funds for Delhi Jal Board and ‘Farishtey’ scheme, DCPCR, classification of conforming and non-conforming wards related to the 2021-22 excise policy.
The letter is intended to apprise the home ministry of the developments in Delhi with regard to “avoidable litigation” in various courts, it said.
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