NEW DELHI, Feb 18:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena on Saturday of trying to “forcibly” prevent the city Government from presenting its views before the Supreme Court in the MCD mayoral poll case, a day after the top court said aldermen cannot vote in the election.
Addressing a press conference here, Kejriwal alleged that the LG tried to “interfere in the administration of justice” and committed “contempt of court”.
No reaction was immediately available from the LG’s office to the claims and allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.
Kejriwal said the petitioner in the case, the AAP’s mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi, had added the LG and the Delhi government as separate parties to her petition in the apex court.
He said the AAP Government and the LG had “contrary viewpoints on all the issues related to the case”.
The AAP had vociferously apposed the nomination of 10 aldermen by the LG to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the decision of the civic body’s presiding officer to give them the right to vote to elect the mayor, the Deputy Mayor and the standing committee members.
“The Delhi Government had asked the urban development secretary to hire Gautam Narayan in the case. But the LG, on February 9, directed the official to appoint Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as the Government’s lawyer to defend the case,” Kejriwal said.
The chief minister added that he has written to the LG, conveying it to him that his actions did not behove the constitutional post he held.
“LG forced Del Government to appoint Tushar Mehta in MCD Mayor case in SC. So, Tushar Mehta represented both opposing parties — Del government and LG. Isn’t this interference in administration of justice? Isn’t this a criminal act?” Kejriwal asked in a tweet.
In his letter to Saxena, the Chief Minister said in the interest of justice and to enable the Supreme Court to arrive at a proper conclusion, it was important that all viewpoints were presented before it.
“However, there was an attempt by the LG to prevent the Delhi government from presenting its views before the Supreme Court,” he said, citing the directions issued by the LG’s office on February 9.
The AAP leader claimed that Saxena wanted to decide the submissions to be made before the top court for himself as well as for the Delhi government.
“Most actions taken by the LG regarding MCD mayor election were brazenly illegal and unconstitutional. Was that the reason why the LG wanted to prevent the truth being stated before the Supreme Court?” he asked. The Chief Minister also alleged that officers were threatened to do the bidding for the LG, saying it was a “crime” and “conspiracy” on the part of Saxena to hide the truth.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also lashed out at the LG in a tweet in Hindi, saying he thinks of himself as a “Bollywood villain” who is above courts, law and justice.
Kejriwal said the Supreme Court foiled the “conspiracy” hatched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the LG to influence the mayoral poll, and asserted that the AAP candidate will win the election since the party has the majority in the MCD House.
The AAP ended the BJP’s 15-year rule in the MCD by winning 134 of the 250 wards. The saffron party won 104 wards in the civic body polls held in December.
Three previous attempts to hold the first meeting of the MCD House to elect the mayor, the deputy mayor and the standing committee members failed due to adjournments over various issues, including the appointment of aldermen and the voting right accorded to them. (PTI)
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