How can you selectively accept SC order? Kejriwal to LG

Upping the ante over who controls the bureaucracy in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday shot off a letter to Lt Governor Arun Baijal.

In the letter, Kejriwal asked Baijal how he can be "selective" in accepting the Supreme Court judgement on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre.

Kejriwal said, "Can anyone say that he will accept and implement the judgement of Supreme Court selectively like this? I would again urge you to fully implement the orders of the SC in letter and spirit."

Emphasising that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) does not have the power to interpret the verdict, Kejriwal said, "If you have any confusion, kindly approach the Supreme Court immediately for clarification but kindly don't violate the SC order."

The bone of contention between the Lt Governor and the Delhi government is over who has the control over the Services Department, which handles postings and transfers.

The Delhi government's interpretation is that the verdict gives it the control while the Centre and the Lt Governor are of the opinion that it continues to be with the latter as the court has not quashed a 2015 notification.

In the letter, Kejriwal pointed out that the Lt Governor and the Centre accepted four of the five major points of the verdict. He said they have accepted that the aid and advice of the Cabinet are binding on the Lt Governor, that there was no need for Lt Governor's concurrence on Cabinet decisions, no need for files to go to Lt Governor as well, as the elected government is the administrative head of the state.

"But how can you be selective in accepting the judgement? Either you should take a position that all the matters now would be placed before the regular bench and therefore, you would not implement any part of the order. Or you should accept the whole order and implement it. How can you say that you will accept this para of the order but not accept that para of the same order?" Kejriwal asked.

In a separate announcement, Kejriwal said he approved the 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana' - a scheme to enable 1,100 senior citizens from each Assembly constituency in Delhi to undertake a free pilgrimage, over-ruling all objections raised by the Lt Governor.