AAP-LG FACE OFF: DELHI GOVT EMERGES VICTORIOUS, WANTS AMENDMENT TO IMPEACH JUNG

NEW DELHI: The bitter battle for power between the central government backed Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and the Delhi government took a new twist with Aam Aadmi Party’s Adarsh Shastri moving a resolution seeking an amendment in the Constitution to impeach Jung.

The resolution was intended to place the Lt Governor in the dock, with the Delhi government realising this objective. As Shastri explained later that Parliament alone has the powers to amend the Constitution and the Delhi Assembly resolution would be sent there following the reasoning that since the President of India can be impeached, similar powers should be given to the states through an amendment to the Constitution.

Kejriwal who has been locked for days in a power tussle with the Lt Governor, got a major boost with the Delhi High Court ruling that the Delhi government has the authority to probe central government officials, including Delhi Police personnel. The central government had backed the Lt Governor with a notification giving him absolute powers in the appointment of bureaucrats, and matters of police and public order. The Union Home Ministry, in the May 21 notification had also barred the anti-corruption unit from registering cases against officers and political functionaries of the central government.

The Chief Minister met the Lt Governor for about 20 minutes before the Assembly session, armed with the court ruling about the powers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He was accompanied by deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Chief Secretary K.K. Sharma who has returned after a ten day break that triggered the face off between the two in the first place.

The Chief Minister attacked the central government for “backstabbing” the state government and supporting the LG to protect the corrupt.

The Delhi High Court termed as "suspect" the Centre's recent notification barring the ACB from acting against its officers in criminal offences and held that the LG cannot act under his discretion. This has come as a major boost to the Aam Aadmi party government that has emerged victorious in a fairly long acrimonious battle that had seen the exchange of angry missives between the CM and the LG.