Government institutions in Delhi are collapsing one after the other as the five-month spat between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for greater control over the Capital reaches a point of no return.

Both sides on Wednesday proclaimed that they would not be the first to blink, setting off the fears of governance taking more hits.

In his strongest assertion yet, Jung’s office announced that the L-G is the “government” and cancelled another of the AAP government’s decisions — the appointment of Swati Maliwal as the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung have been at loggerheads for five months now

In a statement, the office insisted that the L-G is the sole authority in Delhi on major issues, including top appointments.

Expectedly, the AAP government didn’t remove Maliwal from the DCW post, fuelling fears of one more government institution falling prey to the all-out turf war.

But Maliwal said later in the day: “The L-G’s office has told me not to go to DCW office from Thursday because the office would be locked.”

Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has already become defunct, torn as it is between the appointees of Kejriwal and Jung.

While Kejriwal claims the ACB office has been “physically taken over” by Delhi Police, its chief MK Meena - a Jung appointee - on Wednesday accused the Delhi government of bypassing complaints meant to be sent to ACB.

Hardly any cases are reaching the ACB these days.

“Because of AAP’s anti-police rhetoric, there is growing mistrust between the public and cops, illustrated by several cases of police-public clash. A section of bureaucracy across departments now finds itself caught in the crossfire,” said a senior bureaucrat.

Matter of jurisdiction

But neither camp is willing to relent. “Why should we cede ground? For three months now, our view has been that we would not consult the L-G on matters in our domain. Jung has certain misgivings, which only a court can address. The matter of jurisdiction over key institutions is in court. The judges will decide which side must give in,” an aide of Kejriwal said.

Sources in Raj Niwas said the L-G was going by the rule book, and indicated that any “constitutionally invalid and inconsistent” government move would be reversed.

A statement by Jung’s office mentioned that the “constitutionally valid and consistent definition of ‘Government’ is the Lt Governor” of the NCT of Delhi.

The L-G’s office has asked the principal secretary (social welfare) to furnish the facts and circumstances in which Maliwal was appointed. But AAP sees a design behind this move.

“Unable to forget its humiliating election loss in Delhi, the BJP is trying to discredit us. The DCW episode is in continuation of this ploy,” the CM’s aide added.

New hope

In February, Delhi was bubbling with a newfound hope. Kejriwal had led his party to a historic win in the Capital. Despite a bitterly fought election, the Centre promised full cooperation to the city government.

When Jung addressed the first Assembly session, he - despite souring relations with Kejriwal - praised AAP profusely and supported all its demands, including full statehood.

But the past five months have been disastrous with Kejriwal and Jung - who, AAP alleges, is doing the Centre’s bidding - caught in a bitter power struggle.

Within two weeks of taking over, Kejriwal wrote to Jung to assert his powers as chief minister. It was followed by Kejriwal’s instructions to officers not to send government files to Jung. The L-G’s office reversed this order, setting off an ugly public spat over reshuffling senior bureaucrats.

The Centre immediately backed Jung by issuing a notification that issues of policing, land and reshuffling of senior bureaucrats come under the LG’s domain.

AAP says it has people’s mandate (67 Assembly seats out of 70) to run the city the way it wants to.

AAP leader Dilip Pandey said: “We will continue our struggle. Kejriwal and his ministers are there to protect people’s interests. The common refrain today is that the AAP government is working fine but the Modi government is not letting it function smoothly.”

For a quasi-state like Delhi to be administered efficiently, both Kejriwal and Jung need to be on the same page. Jung is the reporting manager for civic agencies, the police and the DDA.

Limited roles

Municipal agencies and police come under the Union home ministry. The Union urban development ministry controls DDA. The L-G has a greater interface in Delhi because he reports to the Union home ministry.

In other states, governors have limited roles in the functioning of local governments. Even when Congress ruled both at the Centre and in Delhi, then chief minister Sheila Dikshit did not have the best of equations with the then L-G. This time the situation is worse because the parties are rivals, and no-one wants to blink first.

CM Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘thulla’ comment has brought him under the legal ambit. A police constable filed a defamation suit against the Delhi Chief Minister for his derogatory remark. Constable Harvinder filed the defamation case as he claimed that he felt insulted.

The plea said: “Using a derogatory and demeaning term to refer to police personnel is equivalent to referring to all Delhi Police officers as lethargic and unproductive. This word has harmed the reputation of the complainant in the eyes of general public including his family and friends.”

Swati says L-G asked her not to report for work

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

One more institution seems to have fallen prey to the ongoing turf war between the Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi Government. After a day of high drama wherein newly-appointed Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal went visiting sex workers on GB Road defying L-G’s order cancelling her appointment, it emerged at the end of the day that the DCW office may be placed under lock and key from Thursday onward.

Late in the evening, Swati Maliwal tweeted: “LG sahab ne call karke bola hai ki kal se mujhe office nahi ana hai aur meri sari files wapis li ja rahi hain. DCW par kal tala laga diya jayega. (The LG called to say that I am not required to visit the DCW office from tomorrow and all my files are being taken back. DCW will be locked on Thursday)”.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal (second from left) met sex workers at GB Road on Wednesday

The Anti-corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi Police is already suffering from the running political tussle between L-G and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government. It has two chiefs but files are not moving.

Also, pleas for the registration of complaints from the public have also fallen in number. Earlier in the day, unfazed by L-G’s strongly-worded letter nullifying her appointment, Maliwal went to meet sex workers at GB Road.

She told reporters: “We covered four buildings and 100 brothels therein. I also held consultations with NGOs, Shakti Vahini and Delhi Aids Control Society. DCW will set up a committee to review the living conditions of sex workers in GB Road and forward its recommendations to the Delhi government.”

The AAP-led Delhi government also displayed open defiance as regards deposing Maliwal on L-G’s orders.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai said: “Whatever L-G said (on revoking Maliwal’s appointment) is not new. Such instances (L-G’s intervention in government’s works) have now become old. CM Arvind Kejriwal has taken the decision to appoint Maliwal as per the Constitution and law. If someone has a problem, we will discuss”.

A top official also said: “We will give appropriate reply to the L-G. Government will back Maliwal as DCW chief.”

On Tuesday, in a letter to the Chief Minister’s Office, Jung said the notification appointing Maliwal was illegal as it does not have his approval.

Referring to a Home Ministry order, the L-G’s office insisted that ‘Government’ meant the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi appointed by the President and insisted that he was sole authority in deciding on major issues including appointment to top positions. The letter pointed out Article 239 and 239 AA of the Constitution.

Swati Maliwal is the wife of Aam Aadmi Party leader Navin Jaihind and has been an advisor to Kejriwal on public grievances and handles his Janta Samwad. She has been associated with the AAP chief since India Against Corruption (IAC) days.

Police 'acting as PM's weapon'

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

The alleged attempt of a Delhi Police vehicle to mow down AAP’s leader Dilip Pandey has snowballed into another issue in the ongoing tussle between the state government and the police force.

AAP leaders Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas, Dilip Pandey, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak met Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over the issue.

Earlier, the leaders had a two-hour meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and discussed the issue with him.

AAP leaders Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas, Dilip Pandey, and Sanjay Singh after a meeting with police chief BS Bassi in Delhi

According to sources, Bassi told the leaders that it was not intentional, but the leaders alleged that the driver tried to knock down Pandey purposely.

According to the party, a policeman tried to mow down Pandey at Rajendra Nagar police station even as mediapersons watched. It also claimed that the Delhi Police was acting as a weapon of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We met the L-G and briefed him about Tuesday’s incident. A CD with the footage showing the cop trying to crush Pandey under his vehicle, along with a letter was submitted to him,” Sanjay Singh said, adding that the Delhi Police were attacking party leaders, sending them to jail and harassing them.

“These are matters of concerns. The L-G has assured us that he will take up the issue with Bassi,” Singh added.

Party leaders also claimed that five of its supporters, who were protesting the laxity of cops in probing the murder of a 19-year-old outside Anand Parbat police station have been missing since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, refuting all allegations levelled by AAP, Bassi said: “In my career, I have not heard of such a complaint. If we receive a complaint, we will take it up seriously.”