Kejriwal, LG

The meeting, the first one after Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues staged a nine-day sit-in at the LG’S office last month, was cordial but Baijal accepted only one of the duo’s two demands.

The LG said he wouldn’t give “us the services department, which deals with transfers, postings, promotions, disciplinary actions and regularising contractual workers, but agreed that all files now need not be sent to him for approval, Kejriwal told reporters after his 25-minute meeting with the LG.

Subsequently, Baijal wrote to Kejriwal on Friday evening saying that while his concurrence was not required on decisions made by the council of ministers, he should be “kept informed”.

Kejriwal alleged that the ministry of home affairs had advised the LG to ignore the part of the SC order which restricts LG’S powers to three subjects – land, police and law and order. “It is very dangerous that central government is advising the LG not to follow the SC orders.”

“The MHA (ministry of home affairs) has not advised the LG to ignore any part of the SC order. This is a misleading statement,” the home ministry said in a statement on Friday night, adding that it would be against the law to take a final view on the matter related to services until the issue is addressed by a regular bench.

The home ministry official cited above confirmed that Kejriwal had sought time from the Union home minister, but added that owing to the fact that Rajnath Singh was currently out of the city, a response is yet to be given to the Delhi chief minister.

The chief minister alleged that keeping the services department with the LG was a “conspiracy” by the Centre to “paralyse” the AAP government. “It is the first time in the history of India that the Central government has openly refused to obey an SC order,” Kejriwal said his government is consulting lawyers on whether the LG’S refusal to abide by the SC order will amount to contempt of court. answer to the authorities if he breaks any law.