New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin's appointment as acting Delhi Chief Secretary has kicked up a huge controversy and pitted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government against Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. The controversy deepened on Saturday after the AAP government ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Services), Anindo Majumdar.
Majumdar had issued orders for the appointment of Gamlin to the post of acting chief secretary on the directions of Jung.
On the other hand, Jung objected to Majumdar's removal while issuing a statement that the decision was taken by the Delhi government without his approval and declared it as void.
A press release issued by Jung's office stated that the order to remove Majumdar "does not have the approval of the Lt Governor, who is the competent authority to transfer officials of that rank. This order is ab-initio void."
The Delhi CM had also written a letter to Jung asking him to review his "questionable" decision to appoint Gamlin as the acting Chief Secretary.
Opposition parties have attacked the AAP government over the row and slammed Kejriwal for his "dictator-like" approach on the issue.
"Lt Governor is the head of Delhi and Kejriwal has a dictator-like approach," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said.
He also alleged that AAP is involved in "politics of confrontation" and wants the Lt Governor, bureaucrats and even mayors to work "according to the chief minister".
In a bitter face-off, Jung on Friday appointed Gamlin as the acting chief secretary of the city government notwithstanding strong reservations by the Kejriwal dispensation which termed the decision as "unconstitutional".
"Shakuntala Gamlin is an honest officer. As per media reports government was trying to bring Parimal Rai and everyone knows what happened in CWG and how many charge sheets are against him," Upadhyay alleged.
Even Congress leaders likened Kejriwal to a "dictator" and asked him to work in a democratic way.
"Arvind Kejriwal portrays himself as dictator when it comes to dealing with his party leaders, the LG and government. He should work in a democratic way. Who has made him dictator of this state that he will do things according to his own way?" Congress leader PL Punia alleged.
Another BJP leader, Nalin Kohli said, "Constitution of India would be as it is in the Constitution and not as Kejriwal and his team mates built it. They should just read article 239A of the Constitution. If they have a problem understanding it then they could refer to constitutional experts."
Taking about the row over appointment of Gamlin, Kohli said, "There were five names involved. One did not wanted to come in, another one they did not want. The third person was already shifted by them and they were left with two names on the list. (Delhi Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia said that either one of them we can take it, and they sat on the file for 36 hours for an acting Chief Secretary, who is to be appointed for a very small period of time."
"The LG has the power and took a decision and approved one of the names that were acceptable to Sisodia and his government. So it is AAP which is creating constitutional crisis and trying to politicise it."
Coming out in support of the Delhi government, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, "I feel the chief minister should be kept in the loop in deciding who will work with the government.
"If LG wants to run this government then it reflects that he is working on the directions of central government," he alleged.
Jung had on Friday appointed Gamlin as Delhi Chief Secretary, notwithstanding strong opposition to her nomination by Kejriwal dispensation which alleged that she had close links with BSES discoms. The 1984-batch officer has, however, denied the charges saying they were baseless.
Chief Secretary KK Sharma is in the US on a personal visit due to which the government had to appoint an acting Chief Secretary.
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