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Accusing them of “lack of seriousness and sensitivity” when it came to matters affecting the day-to-day lives of Delhi residents in the aftermath of the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday wrote to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), alleging that Delhi cabinet ministers were “shirking meetings” with him.According to L-G Secretariat officials, Saxena told Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla that he had sought meetings with AAP Delhi ministers on two occasions after the arrest of Kejriwal, which were turned down on the “specious ground” that it would be inappropriate “at this stage” since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is in force.
“The L-G had decided to convene a meeting of key ministers dealing with departments of Water, Education, Health, Transport Environment, and Forest etc. in wake of AM Kejriwal’s arrest, and subsequent events, especially those related to public health infrastructure in the city…,” said officials. “An intimation was sent to Gopal Rai, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Kailash Gahlot for a meeting… However, all the ministers declined to attend on the specious ground that since the Model Code of Conduct is in force, a meeting would not be appropriate at this stage.”
The Delhi government, in response, called the “repeated attacks” on the elected government “shameful”, and said: “In the note sent just a few days ago by the L-G office to the MHA, it said it has no control over subjects transferred to the Delhi government. It specifically states: “…that Finance and Water are transferred subjects, and the L-G has no role whatsoever in decisions taken thereof… But in the new note sent to the MHA on Monday, the L-G said that the ministers are not responding to his queries on transferred subjects. Can the Hon’ble L-G please make up his mind?”
L-G Secretariat officials also said Saxena, in his communication to Bhalla, said he believed that a consultation of this nature was warranted so that “routine works of governance are not hampered” after Kejriwal’s arrest. Bharadwaj had declined to attend the meeting convened by Saxena, after writing to him regarding the shortage of medical supplies at two Delhi government hospitals.
This was followed by Saxena expressing “deep concerns” regarding the allegedly deteriorating state of the ‘Delhi Model’ of healthcare delivery, likening it to being on “life support ventilator.”
The Delhi government, which has accused Saxena of not taking any action against “errant” officers, said that Supreme Court judgments had made it clear that the “L-G is only a nominal figurehead except in areas of police, order and land”. “It is imperative to note that the only assistance required from the L-G Office in matters except land, public order, and police is the initiation of prompt investigations into officers whose actions are against the interests of the Delhi residents. Regrettably, despite the urgency of this matter, the L-G Office had only been offering frivolous excuses,” it said.
“We urge him (Saxena) to wield his authority decisively by initiating prompt investigations into the conduct of several officers who repeatedly and brazenly flout the directives of ministers. It is imperative that the L-G exercises the power vested in him, particularly in light of the GNCTD Amendment Act, to enforce corrective measures against these errant officers,” it said.
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