A fresh confrontation between the AAP government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung flared up with the former refusing to comply with his order cancelling Swati Maliwal's appointment as Chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) even as she claimed tonight that the LG told her not to come to office from tomorrow and that it will be locked.
The Kejriwal government stood its ground notwithstanding the assertion by Jang that 'Government' meant the LG in Delhi.
Capping a day of dramatic developments, Maliwal posted a tweet claiming that Jung had called her and conveyed that she should not come to office from tomorrow and that all her files are being taken back.
However, contrary to the claims made in the tweets, she later said it was "LG's secretariat and not Jung" which communicated to her office that she should not continue in the post. Jung's office vehemently denied her claims, saying LG was upset over such baseless allegations.
"The LG has called me and told me that I should not come to office from tomorrow and all my files are being taken back. The DCW office will be locked," she tweeted.
The 30-year-old women's activist said she will continue in her capacity as DCW chief till further government orders in this regard.
"I have a schedule for field visit tomorrow and I will stick to it. I will follow the government orders. I think the issue will be resolved," she told PTI.
Earlier, the AAP Government said Maliwal will not be asked to discontinue and that her appointment will stand.
Reflecting government's strong position on the issue, Transport Minister Gopal Rai said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made the appointment in tune with constitutional provisions and laid down norms and there was no question of reviewing the decision.
"Whatever LG said today is not new. Such instances (LG's intervention in government's works) have now been old," he said indicating government will reply to the LG on the issue.
In a letter to the Chief Minister's office, Jung had said the notification appointing her was "ultra vires and infructuous" as it does not have his approval.
Maliwal, who had taken charge of DCW, is the wife of Aam Aadmi Party leader Navin Jaihind and has been an advisor to Kejriwal on public grievances and handles his Janta Samwad. She has been associated with the AAP chief since India Against Corruption (IAC) days.
Referring to a Home Ministry order, the LG's office insisted that 'Government' meant the "Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi" appointed by the President and insisted that he was sole authority in deciding on major issues including appointment to top positions.
