On a day when former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra criticised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for taking unilateral decision on ‘hiring’ police officers from Bihar for the Anti-Corruption Bureau in the city, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia accused the Centre of making a “mockery of governance”.
Sisodia said that the Centre was dictating terms to the Lt. Governor and thus hampering governance. He said, “Delhi Government and ACB have complete power to appoint police officers from anywhere across the country. The Central Government has made a mockery of everything. They dictate their terms to the Lieutenant Governor. First they ask him to say that all the officers are under his supervision and after that they ask him to say that even the ACB is under him.”
Earlier, the Delhi Government decided to ‘hire’ six police officers for the ACB, with reports stating that one Deputy Superintendent of Police and five inspectors and sub-inspectors will be joining the body soon.
Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the AAP government’s decision to include officers of Bihar police in the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau. BJP had stated that it was against the law to decide since the MHA notification on the ACB’s jurisdiction is a sub-judice matter at the moment. The BJP also alleged that instead of addressing the core issues of the people of Delhi, the AAP government was getting into controversies.
The AAP government had reacted strongly and said, “Delhi High Court has already settled the issue of jurisdiction of ACB, there is no confusion.” It also urged all honest officers across the country to strengthen ACB.”
While the MHA notification had given sweeping powers to the LG Najeeb Jung on matters related to transfers and postings of officers in Delhi government, Delhi High Court, in its interim order, recently directed the LG to consider proposals sent by the Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi government.
The HC also stated that if LG Jung was not satisfied with the proposals, he could send it back to the Council of Ministers.