Sisodia to return from Finland as scheduled despite LG's order

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will return to the city from Finland tomorrow as scheduled, notwithstanding the Lt Governor's order to cut short his visit in the wake of sudden spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases in the national capital.

Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had yesterday asked Sisodia to cut short his trip to Finland and immediately return to Delhi in view of the outbreak of chikungunya and dengue which trigged further tussle between the Kejriwal government and the LG office.

On the directions of Jung, Chief Secretary K K Sharma had sent an urgent fax to the Deputy Chief Minister, saying "Your kind presence is required in the NCT of Delhi to deal with emergent administrative matters."
 

However, a senior government official said that "as per his schedule, the Deputy Chief Minister will return to Delhi tomorrow."

Sisodia, who also hold the education portfolio, had flown to Finland on September 12 along with his officers, to study the education system of that country.

Refuting the allegation of the Opposition that he is "holidaying" in Finland, Sisodia yesterday said it was not a "sin" to study the schooling system of other countries to fix the problems in Delhi's education system.

"I am not holidaying in Finland, I am on a tour to understand the education system here. Is coming to Finland a sin? Eating ice-cream a sin? Which book says that? I am working here for 26 lakh children for which Delhi Government is responsible. I am accountable to their parents," he told a TV channel from Helsinki.

Earlier in the day, AAP ministers Satyendar Jain and Kapil Mishra went to meet the Lt Governor at his office following his fax to Sisodia to return from Finland, but the meeting did not materialise as Jung was not in his office, triggering a fresh spat between the two sides.

"It appears he is not in a mood to work today," Mishra said, taking a jibe at Jung.

But the LG office retorted that it was operational on all seven days of the week and the ministers did not seek prior appointment even as it accused the AAP government of politicising the issue when the city was grappling with a health crisis.