Your concurrence not needed, says CM Arvind Kejriwal in letter to Delhi L-G Anil Baijal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has told Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal his “concurrence would now not be required on any matter”, writing to him a day after a Supreme Court order made it clear that the real power was with the elected government.

“I wish to bring to your kind notice two specific issues adjudged by Hon’ble Supreme Court--L-G’s ‘concurrence’ would now not be required on any matter and executive powers related to ‘Services’ lies with Council of Ministers,” Kejriwal said in a letter.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the L-G is bound to listen to the city’s democratically elected government and cannot act independently, prompting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to claim victory against the Centre over administrative control of the national capital.

“The LG is bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers,” said a five-judge bench in a majority verdict on Wednesday after hearing appeals filed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government against a Delhi high court judgment declaring L-G as the sole administrator of the city.

Hours after the Supreme Court verdict, the AAP government issued an order withdrawing all powers of transfer and posting of IAS officers and other employees from the Lieutenant Governor, the chief secretary and heads of departments. However, the order--issued by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia--was promptly returned by bureaucrats on the grounds that it was “legally incorrect”.

AAP has now threatened to move court calling the bureaucrats’ move a “contempt of court”.

“The chief secretary has written to me saying the services department will not follow the orders. If they are not going to abide by it and the transfer files will still be seen by the LG then it will amount to contempt of the constitution bench. We are consulting our lawyers,” Sisodia said Thursday.