Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying all transfers and postings done in the last four days stand cancelled. In his letter, Mr Jung is reported to have said that the power to appoint and transfer, all officials of the city government, starting from steno to IAS officers, rests with the Lt Governor’s office. However, official sources refused to comment when contacted.
Amidst widening power tussle between with the Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Centre of trying to run Delhi government through the Lt. Governor.
In his letter, Mr Kejriwal urged the Prime Minister to allow the Delhi government to function independently under constitutional scheme. He highlighted the issue of transfer of bureaucrats and asked Mr Modi to take notice of the matter. The letter was sent to the Prime Minister last evening.
Mr Kejriwal and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia met President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue yesterday. After meeting the President, Mr Sisodia said that the L-G is trying to run the government as if there is President’s rule in the national capital.
Before Mr Kejriwal’s meeting with the President, Mr Jung called on Mr Mukherjee. He reiterated his stand over the recent appointments of senior bureaucrats in the Delhi government.
The tussle between the Lt. Governor and the Delhi Chief Minister began last week with both challenging each other’s authority on the appointment of acting Chief Secretary Shakuntala Gamlin.