Interference in daily work insult to Delhiites, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: The tussle between Delhi government and the lieutenant governor over the appointment of lawyers for the farm protest cases escalated on Saturday after the LG referred the file to the President of India, citing his difference of opinion with the elected government. Soon after, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal hit out at BJP for what he said was interference in Delhi’s running.
Last week, the Kejriwal cabinet rejected LG Anil Baijal’s suggestion on going along with a panel of lawyers suggested by Delhi Police and decided that Delhi government’s own panel of special public prosecutors should appear in the cases.
Protesting the LG’s decision, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi on Saturday, “The people of Delhi defeated BJP and formed the AAP government with a historic majority. Let BJP run the country and let AAP run Delhi. Such interference in everyday work is an insult to the people of Delhi. BJP should respect democracy.”
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia later convened a press conference in the evening and charged the LG with “rejecting” the cabinet decision. Sisodia questioned the cause for the rejection and said, “The Centre is afraid that the panel of lawyers appointed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will expose in court the conspiracy of the central government against the farmers.”
He said the cabinet had decided that the state government-appointed lawyers would appear in the cases, but the LG had reversed the cabinet decision and referred the file on the matter to the President, describing this move as “unconstitutional”.
Sisodia said that the constitutional rights of the elected government of Delhi were being continuously violated by the central government through the LG and all the decisions of Delhi government were facing deliberate obstruction. He asked the LG to stop interfering in the affairs of the elected government.
The deputy CM added that the Constitution granted the elected government the right to appoint lawyers. “If the LG appoints the lawyers, then what will happen to the rights of the government elected by the people?” Sisodia asked.
Citing the Supreme Court order which says that either the LG could agree with the decision of the elected government and act accordingly or, if the LG disagreed, could make his disagreement known to the President, Sisodia pointed out, “The Supreme Court also said in its order that the LG can refer a matter to the President only in extraordinary circumstances and not in every case.”
Saying this was an example of the unconstitutional and undemocratic attitude of the BJP-led Centre, Sisodia said, “The Union government needs to read the Constitution and reflect on how if the government elected by the people isn’t allowed to function, then where is there a need to hold elections and what need is there for the Constitution.”