In 5-Minute Meet, Team Arvind Kejriwal Gets Some Advice From Lt Governor

New Delhi:  At their first meeting after an unprecedented faceoff between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and Delhi's bureaucrats, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to "take steps to remove mistrust" with government employees so that Delhi's development activities are "not affected".

At the meeting that reportedly lasted for no more than five minutes, the Lt Governor later tweeted that he had also "strongly condemned the recent unfortunate incidents" and underlined that there was "no place for violence in democracy".

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia later suggested that the Lt Governor had also agreed to help resolve the crisis. "We told him that officers were not taking phone calls, coming for meetings. We gave him a list of officers," Mr Sisodia said, sounding a conciliatory tone.

 Mr Sisodia said the Lt Governor agreed to speak with the officers.

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Government officials in Delhi have refused to attend meetings called by ministers after the city government's top bureaucrat Anshu Prakash alleged he was assaulted by two lawmakers at a midnight meeting convened by Chief Minister Kejriwal on Monday.

Mr Prakash also filed a police complaint about the assault that implies Mr Kejriwal's involvement in the conspiracy to beat him. AAP leaders had claimed that the false allegations were levelled at the elected government at the behest of the BJP government at the centre and its nominee, Mr Baijal.