200 senior Delhi govt officers go on mass leave

The Centre and AAP-led Delhi government ended the year on a bitter confrontation on Thursday with the Union Home Ministry declaring the suspension of two officers by the state administration for insubordination as invalid.

On a day around 200 senior bureaucrats of the Delhi Government went on a mass leave protesting the suspension, the Union Ministry waded into the controversy by acting on a reference from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung that the order was not proper.

Centre jumps in
“The Home Ministry has received a reference from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on the suspension of two DANICS officers. It declares the suspension order is 'non est' (mistake or does not exist) and the two officers should be considered deemed to be on duty,” a senior Home Ministry official said. The fresh round of tussle came as the AAP government suspended two Special Secretaries in Home Department Yashpal Garg and Subhash Chandra, two DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) cadre officials. The two officials had refused to sign a file on the Cabinet decision to increase salary of public prosecutors.

‘No jurisdiction’
The Centre’s argument is that the Delhi government has no jurisdiction over officers. They can only recommend suspension to Lt Governor take action in consultation with Union Home Ministry.

The war of words grew louder as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the Lt Governor and officers' association to create trouble for his government. Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju hit back at the AAP government, saying that like humans who cannot live without oxygen, the city government cannot live without controversy.

“Everyday through the media, they keep creating controversy. Like human beings can't live without oxygen, the AAP government can’t live without controversy,” he told reporters.

“During the election, they spoke about big things but when they got the mandate to rule, they don't want to follow the system,” he said adding the AAP government has lowered the level of governance and one “cannot humiliate your own officers”. He was asked about Kejriwal's allegation that DANICS and IAS Associations have become BJP's B-Team.
DH News Service