Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

After months of conflict with the central government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to seek the Centre’s co-operation in governing the capital.

After the meeting, Kejriwal said, “I told the Prime Minister that we may have ideological and political differences but for Delhi’s growth, the state and Centre need to work together.

I also told him to help us, and that we will make Delhi sparkle straightaway.” Kejriwal added,

“I also told the PM that we will fulfill the goals of Swachh Bharat and Digital India in Delhi, but for that better communication with the Centre is needed.”

The CM said he also told Modi how orders and decisions passed by him were instantly declared null and void by the Centre. However, the AAP leaders were not very hopeful of a solution to their problems, a source said, adding that the 25-minute meeting fell short of Kejriwal’s expectations.

When asked about the PM’s assurances, Kejriwal said, “He listened to us carefully and said he will look into it.”

Sources said that while Kejriwal told the PM about the ‘interference’ of the Centre in the functioning of the government, the PM just nodded and said he would look into it. While the Centre has always assured the government of its co-operation, this time the leaders were told that their complaints would be looked into, said sources.

Kejriwal also briefed the PM about the government’s protest on the appointment of M K Meena as ACB chief. “The CM told Modi that there are corruption charges against Meena. Despite this, Meena was made ACB in-charge,” said a source.

Attacking Kejriwal, ex-official with the AAP government Ashish Joshi said, “The CM should have spoken about corruption charges against his secretary Rajendra Kumar rather than pointing fingers at others.”

Kejriwal has been accusing the Centre of interfering in the functioning of his government. He had launched a series of verbal attacks on Modi recently for “usurping powers of the government’s Anti-Corruption Branch and using paramilitary forces in Delhi offices”.

This is Kejriwal’s second meeting with the PM after his victory in the assembly polls. The CM has been trying to meet Modi for some time now. During the Budget Session, he had said that he sought an appointment with the PM, but failed to get one.

Centre backs Meena in court

Backing Anti-Corruption Branch chief M K Meena, the Centre on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that he was “acting as per law”, refuting the AAP government’s claim that he was not allowing anyone to work.

Additional Solicitor-General Maninder Singh told Justice V P Vaish that a plea filed by the Arvind Kejriwal government, seeking contempt proceedings against Meena, was not bonafide. He also told the court that the AAP government was “abusing the process of law”. Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the state government, alleged that Meena was “not working in accordance with law”. ~ ENS

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