JOIN USKejri's aide not new to controversies
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s principal secretary Rajendra Kumar is at the centre of a major flashpoint between the state government and the Centre.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday raided Kumar’s office, triggering strong reaction from Kejriwal and his party functionaries.
Controversies are not new to the 1989 batch IAS officer who has been accused of favouring a particular private firm by awarding contracts to it all through his stints in education, I-T and VAT departments.
He is accused of “setting up” various companies to give work contracts without tenders. Kumar was also the face of the AAP government in its battle against Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung as the chief minister gave him responsibilities of departments like home without taking approval from Jung.
Kumar is an IIT-Delhi alumnus like Kejriwal and he has worked for the chief minister even in his previous 49-day stint. AAP leaders said the two knew each other as bureaucrats (Kejriwal was an Indian Revenue Service officer before resigning from his job).
When the Aam Aadmi Party first stormed to power in the Delhi in December, 2013, Kumar drove down to Kejriwal’s Ghaziabad residence to greet him. Soon speculations were rife that he will handle some key position in his government.
Kejriwal said the CBI raid was directed at him. “Rajender Kumar is one of our most trusted officers. To raid him is to raid the CM,” said Kejriwal.
Sources said that complaint against Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenant was filed by Ashish Joshi, who was sacked by Kejriwal in May as member-secretary of the Delhi Dialogue Commission.