JOIN USDelhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday returned the file of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking removal of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Barkha Singh, and asked for a valid reason behind the government move.
Earlier in the day, Singh, a Congress leader, met the LG to apprise him on her run-in with Law Minister Somnath Bharti, who had refused to appear before the Commission in person, following summons for his ‘raid’ on some Ugandan women.
The Delhi government sought to replace Bharkha Singh with author Maitreyi Pushpa, alleging, among other things, that the Congress leader had politicised the complaint against Bharti.
Kejriwal also told a press conference here on Thursday that there was a question mark over Barkha Singh’s “ability to work independently” as she was a political person.
“We are against political appointees on government panels and are bringing in Pushpa as the new DCW chief, who will draw a token monthly salary of Re1,” he said.
After the meeting with Jung, Barkha Singh said: “We have briefed the lieutenant governor and he has assured me that he would go by the rules.”
She countered allegations by Kejriwal that she was partisan.