Delhi LG Writes to Kejriwal to Resume Meetings, Lauds Him For Taking Governance Seriously

Amid a series of disagreements and allegations between them, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to resume meetings between them for a “conflict-free governance of the city.”

The chief minister has responded to this, by thanking him for the letter and giving him reasons — that he was campaigning for his party across the country — due to which he could not regularly meet with the LG. Kejriwal wrote, “Thank you for inviting me for discussions. I will definitely come. I will fix up a convenient time with your office.”

Saxena has said that they used to regularly meet till October 2020 but this did not continue.

In a letter, taking a jibe at Kejriwal, Saxena wrote, “I am in receipt of several letters from you over the past few days. At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation for the fact that you have started taking governance of the city serious.”

In his reply, Kejriwal also brought up Saxena’s unilaterally appointment of “10 aldermen, presiding officer, and the Haj Committee.” Kejriwal added that this was done “bypassing the elected government and that this invited strong public criticism.

Kejriwal also highlighted how the LG “sarcastically” talked about his taking the governance of Delhi.

This comes as the AAP launched an attack on the LG accusing him of illegally nominating BJP workers as aldermen instead of those with experience in municipal administration.

Addressing a press conference, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that Article 243 R and S of constitution states that candidates should be those who have “special knowledge and experience in matters related to Municipal Corporation.” But the ten aldermen chosen for the MCD house had little relevant experience and all of them were BJP workers, he said.

Saxena nominated Satya Sharma as presiding officer of a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) meeting from a list of six sent to him by the AAP government, Raj Niwas officials had said on Saturday.

Earlier this week, nearly 150 AAP workers gathered outside Governor’s residence and chanted slogans. AAP leaders, including Atishi and Somnath Bharti on Saturday, alleged that the L-G appointed BJP’s Satya Sharma as the presiding officer and ten Aldermen in the MCD “unconstitutionally.”

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