Arvind Kejriwal directs Chief Secretary, Swati Maliwal not to implement Najeeb Jung's appointment

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the Chief Secretary and DCW chief Swati Maliwal not to implement Najeeb Jung’s decision to appoint Dilraj Kaur as Member Secretary of the women’s body, alleging the LG was acting like there was “President’s rule” in Delhi.

Triggering another round of wranglings, Kejriwal further said that PP Dhal will continue to hold the post of officiating Member Secretary of the DCW (Delhi Commission for Women), which Jung had declared “illegal ab initio”.

In a file noting, the Chief Minister directed the Delhi Chief Secretary M M Kutty and DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal to not implement the decision of the LG to appoint Kaur (Women and Child Welfare Secretary), saying matters related to the woman’s body fall under the list of “transferred subjects”.

In case the LG has a difference of opinion over these matters, he is required to settle them through discussion, Kejriwal said. The CM had recently accused Jung of acting like “Hitler” over the issue.

“By resorting to taking unilateral decisions bypassing the elected government LG is acting in a manner as if there is no democratically elected government in Delhi and instead President’s rule is in vogue,” Kejriwal wrote.

The LG office had said the appointment of Kaur was temporary and necessitated by retirement of Alka Diwan, who previously held the post, on November 30.

“The post fell vacant so a stop-gap arrangement was made.  This is a temporary appointment as the Lt Governor felt the post should not remain vacant considering its importance,” an official in the LG office had said.

While turning down Dhal’s appointment, Jung had also pointed out instances of alleged irregularities in appointments in DCW, which are being probed by the Anti-Corruption Branch.

“The complaints received by LG about the so-called irregular appointments, have been made by the people belonging to the BJP Delhi unit who could never digest their humiliating defeat in the last assembly elections and are adament to put hurdles in the good work being done by this government by misusing your office,” Kejriwal said.

As per the note, the government had moved a proposal for appointment of Dhal as Member Secretary on August 19. The file was pending in LG office for several months and was returned to the Chief Minister on December 15, it said.

Merely some complaints or an audit does not give any authority to the LG to disregard the proposal of the elected government, DCW said in a statement.

Referring to the August 4 Delhi High Court order that had held the LG’s primacy as the city’s administrative head, Kejriwal said even that does not empower the LG to take “unilateral decisions bypassing the elected government”.

“I am sending a copy of this note to the Chief Secretary and Chairperson, DCW to wait for final outcome in the matter and not to implement your directions to give charge to Secretary WCD. In the meantime, Dhal will hold the charge in officiating capacity,” he said.