Responding to the allegation on the bid to withdraw cases, the AAP government, in a statement, said “no minister is involved in this process, therefore, the office of the Hon’ble LG has erred in making this incorrect allegation”. Responding to the allegation on the bid to withdraw cases, the AAP government, in a statement, said “no minister is involved in this process, therefore, the office of the Hon’ble LG has erred in making this incorrect allegation”.

Deepening the divide at the top in Delhi, the office of the Lt Governor announced Friday that an AAP minister had approached the Raj Niwas with a file on 24 “criminal cases” pending in courts against the Chief Minister and senior AAP leaders and sought their withdrawal.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain was told by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung that “there cannot be a pick-and-choose policy for consideration of withdrawal of criminal cases and proper norms and procedures have to be followed”.

Ajay Chaudhary, OSD to the Lt Governor, made this disclosure at a press conference after the AAP alleged that Jung had been taking “undue interest” in a parole request by former Haryana chief minister O P Chautala who is currently in Tihar Jail — the parole request was rejected on October 5.

“It is clear from the file movement that the file regarding parole of O P Chautala was received in Home Department, GNCTD on 9.10.15. The same was kept pending by the Home Minister till 23.10.15 and sent to Hon’ble CM on 28.10.15.The assertion on the part of the Minister that he was pressurised for granting of parole is a shocking distortion of facts and deliberate manipulation to make it a political issue and settle political scores,” a release issued by Raj Niwas stated.

“It is obvious that the Home Minister has tried to make political capital out of this reference and has used the occasion to vent angst at his unsuccessful attempt to push through the withdrawal of cases against AAP leaders,” the release stated.

Responding to the allegation on the bid to withdraw cases, the AAP government, in a statement, said “no minister is involved in this process, therefore, the office of the Hon’ble LG has erred in making this incorrect allegation”.

“Compoundable cases against political leaders and workers are never withdrawn on executive orders but through a screening committee comprising Principal Secretary, Home, Law, Joint Commissioner Delhi Police and Directorate of Prosecution. The cases are essentially political in nature. It has met 13 times in the last five years and processed 141 cases,” the government said.

“It is clear by their own admission that when the LG met Jain on October 21, 2015, he knew about the parole application of Chautala. This makes it clear that on Wednesday and Thursday, the office of LG, in its press release, chose to be selective with facts and did not reveal this critical fact. How did the Hon’ble LG know that another parole application had been filed by Chautala when the file had not even reached him?” the government countered.

Earlier, Chaudhary, OSD to the Lt Governor, said that on September 11, Jain came with a file to seek withdrawal of 24 cases pending in various courts.

“The minister insisted that the file should be cleared today itself and he would like to take it back personally… he asserted that it is humiliating and below dignity for their senior leaders to attend courts on frequent dates. He was informed by the Lt Governor that there cannot be a pick-and-choose policy for consideration of withdrawal of criminal cases and proper norms and procedures have to be followed. Political leaders are not above the law and any mass withdrawal of cases against the political leaders from prosecution may send a wrong message to the society at large,” he said.

According to Chaudhary, Jain again sought an appointment with Jung on October 21 “without specifying the purpose”.

“On meeting the Lt Governor, he again said that the CM and senior leaders of AAP have to face humiliation due to attendance in courts.” After he “expressed his desire to take the file back personally”, Jain was told that “all these cases have serious allegations of rioting, deterring public servants from duty, criminal assault and damage to public property and hence cannot be treated as routine cases,” Chaudhary said.

Jain was told that cases of withdrawal are “considered on merit and the file containing this request was being scrutinised in the Lt Governor’s office as per law,” he said.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.