Kejriwal Vs LG

The Delhi government on Monday issued an order delegating the financial powers of the Standing Committee to MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, allowing him to approve proposals requiring expenditures of Rs 5 crore and above for various municipal solid waste management contracts. A political slugfest erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Lt Governor's office over the issue as both accused the other of delaying the passage of the order. The move comes amid a political deadlock between the ruling AAP and opposition BJP in the MCD over the constitution of the Standing Committee, the highest decision-making body of the civic body, which otherwise had the authority to approve contracts exceeding Rs 5 crore. The formation of the Standing Committee has been delayed for over 19 months and the matter is currently in the court. According to the order issued by the urban development department, the Delhi government has exercised its powers under Section 202(c) of the Delhi Municipal ...

A fresh row erupted between the Delhi government and the LG after jailed CM Kejriwal informed Saxena that Minister Atishi will hoist the national flag during the government's Independence Day event

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of chief minister after his arrest in a money laundering case related to excise policy scam. "It is up to Delhi LG to act if he wants to but we will not interfere," a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said. The court said it is a matter of propriety but there is no legal right seeking removal of Kejriwal as chief minister following his arrest. When the matter was being heard we had posed the same question to them. Ultimately, it is a matter of propriety and there is no legal right, the bench told the petitioner. The top court was hearing a plea of petitioner Kant Bhati challenging the Delhi High Court's order dated April 10 by which his plea was dismissed.

Former DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal strongly criticised the LG's decision, saying the women's commission may face closure if all contractual staff are removed

All MCD projects above Rs 5 crores are essentially to be cleared by the Standing Committee

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has asked the Director General (DG) of Prisons to submit a 'factual and comprehensive' report into the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) allegations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was not provided insulin in Tihar jail. The Delhi LG also assured that no laxity with regards to CM Kejriwal's health would be tolerated.According to a statement from Raj Niwas issued on Thursday night, the LG expressed concern over reports based on statements by the ministers and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders alleging non-provision of insulin to CM Kejriwal."Shri VK Saxena @LtGovDelhi has expressed grave concern over reports based on statements by Ministers & AAP leaders alleging non provision of insulin to Hon'ble CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, who is in jail & purported "conspiracies" against him," the Raj Niwas said in a post on X."Shri Saxena has asked DG Prisons to submit a factual and comprehensive report in the matter within 24 hrs," it said.The Raj Niwas ..

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of threatening officers to stall various city government initiatives, including the bus marshal scheme. There was no immediate reaction from the LG's office to the chief minister's claim. Speaking in the Delhi Assembly on the issue of removal of civil defence volunteers deployed as bus marshals in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses, Kejriwal said the scheme ran smoothly from 2015 to 2022. "We formed the government in 2015 with a promise to ensure women's safety. We installed CCTV cameras in five years, street lights were installed at dark spots and buses were equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons and bus marshals were deployed. There are several instances of good work by bus marshals," the chief minister said. The bus marshal scheme worked well for eight years but in 2023, officers started raising objections saying civil defence volunteers could not work as marshals, he ...

"The said scheme, which is purportedly being stopped by me, has never ever been brought to me, even on a single piece of paper," added the letter

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told the Supreme Court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, without issuing notice on a plea of Kejriwal challenging a Delhi High Court order which upheld summons issued to him as an accused in the criminal defamation case, asked the complainant whether he wanted to close the matter in view of the chief minister's apology. The bench also asked the trial court not to take up the defamation case involving Kejriwal till March 11. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said, "I can say this much that I made a mistake by retweeting." In its judgement dated February 5, the high court had said that reposting alleged libellous content would attract the defamation law. The high court had said a sense of responsibility has to be attached while retweeting content about which one do

Delhi LG V K Saxena has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding five CAG reports "pending" with Finance Minister Atishi since August, 2023. Saxena has requested the chief minister to advise the finance minister to "expeditiously process" the important reports concerning state finances so that they can be tabled in the ongoing budget session of the Delhi Assembly. The reports of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) are constitutionally mandated independent and impartial assessment of the performance of the government and in many ways are a guidance document for assessment of its financial performance, said the LG in his letter. "It is an obligation of the government of the day to share with the people, through the House, an objective account of its performance - revenue and expenditure of public funds," he noted. The letter stated that the LG secretariat received copies of communications from controller of accounts to the finance minister's secretary,

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal "advising" him to ask the finance minister to conduct a detailed inquiry into alleged Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion in the city. In a statement, the Delhi government condemned instances of tax evasion and said that despite its efforts to develop a software to address the problem, a proposal to this effect has been "languishing among bureaucratic offices for almost a year". In his letter to Kejriwal, Saxena said Delhi has achieved the "inglorious distinction" of recording the highest tax evasion in the country. In all, 483 "bogus firms" were detected which evaded Rs 3,028 crore of tax, he said. "It is indeed dubious that the capital of the country tops the list of tax evasion amongst all states and union territories, with the one on the second place behind Delhi by as much as Rs 827 crore. This is a serious matter in which the possibility of collusion of officials in the GST ...

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday recommended to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena the suspension of DPCC chairman Ashwani Kumar for allegedly stopping a study to ascertain pollution sources in Delhi and shutting down an anti-smog tower, government sources said. The file recommending the suspension of Kumar, a senior IAS officer and principal secretary (home) in the Delhi government, has been sent to Saxena, they said. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had recently alleged that Kumar stalled a source apportionment study by IIT-Kanpur that was approved by the Delhi Cabinet and wrote to Kejriwal demanding his suspension. It was also alleged by Rai that the anti-smog tower in Connaught Place was shut down by Kumar, who took up the role of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman in December last year. No immediate reaction was available from Kumar.

Stopping the engagement of specialists and advisors will "completely strangulate" Delhi government and its services, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, hoping the move will be quashed by the Supreme Court. Kejriwal's remarks came days after Lt governor VK Saxena approved the termination of engagements of 400 specialists working with the Delhi government. In a follow up to the mass removal, the Services department on Wednesday wrote to different departments and agencies of government to stop engagement of persons as fellows and advisors without the approval of the LG. "This will completely strangulate Delhi govt and its services. I don't know what does Hon'ble LG achieve by doing all this? I hope Hon'ble SC immediately quashes it," Kejriwal said in a tweet on Thursday. Saxena terminated the services of around 400 'specialists' appointed by the Kejriwal government in different departments, citing alleged irregularities in recruitment. "... All the ...

Not even a single show cause notice was issued, and no explanation or clarification was sought at any stage. This unconstitutional decision will be challenged in court, it further added

The letter from the governor stated that the president appointed Justice Kumar as Chairperson DERC in accordance with the extant statutory provision through a notification

Bharadwaj said that the officers had misinformed LG Saxena about the factual condition

The LG claimed that work under former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's tenure was much better in the health sector

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the national capital would have been the safest place had the law and order situation been under the AAP dispensation instead of the Lieutenant Governor. His remarks came after two women were allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in R K Puram in southwest Delhi Sunday morning. "Our thoughts are with the families of the two women. May their souls rest in peace. The people of Delhi have started feeling quite insecure. Those who are responsible for handling the law and order situation in Delhi are hatching conspiracy to take control of Delhi government instead of fixing the situation," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. "Had the law and order situation been under the AAP dispensation instead of the LG, Delhi would have been the safest," he added. The AAP had on earlier occasions too attacked Lt Governor V K Saxena over the alleged "deteriorating" law and order situation in the city.

The first meeting of the National Capital Civil Service Authority, constituted through an ordinance by the Centre, has been summoned by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on June 20 even as he called the panel a "farce". The NCCSA, which was formed on May 19 by the Centre to bring back executive control over matters related to services to its domain, is likely to discuss disciplinary proceedings against an officer during the meeting. The Delhi CM is the chairman of the authority. According to an official statement, Kejriwal said even before its first meeting, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar have "colluded" to turn the NCCSA into a "farce" authority. Reacting to the allegation, an official of the LG Secretariat said it is "shocking that false and misleading statements comprising patently wrong assertions and half-truths are being issued as official statements of the Chief Minister's Office." No immediate reaction was available from the chief .

Delhi Sunday saw a resolute gathering of thousands at Ramlila Maidan to voice their discontent against a recent ordinance issued by the Central government that effectively granted control over the bureaucracy in the national capital to the Lieutenant Governor. Undeterred by the scorching temperatures that reached a blistering 43 degrees, men, women, children, and the elderly filled the venue, while many others stood outside on the roads under trees. Some covered their heads with scarfs and splashed water on their faces to combat the harsh sun. Inside the maidan, many stood near coolers and fans while others used makeshift paper fans. AAP workers lined the roads, distributing water pouches and bottles to the supporters. Sporting the distinctive signature caps of the Aam Aadmi Party, the party supporters carried the tricolour and marked their participation through the lens of their smartphones. The protesters chanted "Kejriwal jindabad" and anti-BJP government slogans, their collecti