Kejriwal meets Jung with court order
PROBE ALLOWED INTO GRAFT CHARGES AGAINST DELHI POLICE OFFICIALS
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung yesterday for the first time after a stand-off began between the two over postings and transfers of bureaucrats.
The meeting took place a few hours before the start of Delhi assembly’s emergency session called to discuss the home ministry’s notification that said the Lt. Governor will have the last word in bureaucratic postings and transfers. Sources said Kejriwal showed Jung the high court order allowing Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to investigate Delhi Police officials caught on corruption charges. He also apprised Jung about his views on the issue, sources added.
Dismissing the bail plea of a head constable arrested on graft charges, the Delhi High Court said the city government’s ACB has “jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute” Delhi Police officials. Kejriwal was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Chief Secretary K.K Sharma.
A tussle over bureaucratic appointments broke out between Jung and Kejriwal, triggered by the appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as the acting chief secretary on May 15. Kejriwal had accused Gamlin of lobbying for power distribution companies.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday said the Centre’s differences with Kejriwal government were due to their different interpretation of the Constitution and the matter will be settled by court. A day after High Court termed as “suspect” the Centre’s notification restricting powers of the state government, BJP President Amit Shah also sought to de-escalate the confrontation, saying Modi dispensation was never in a conflict with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.