Delhi power tussle: Was quoted selectively and erroneously charged by CM, says LG Baijal

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Monday said he was selectively quoted and erroneously charged of selective acceptance of the Supreme Court verdict on distribution of powers in Delhi.

The LG’s response came after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused him of being selective in accepting the Supreme Court judgement.

Kejriwal in his letter to the LG on Monday asked how can he be selecting in accepting the apex court judgment and urged Baijal to implement the judgment in letter and spirit.

“But how can you be selective in accepting the judgement? Either you should take a position that all the matters now would be placed before regular bench and therefore, you would not implement any part of the order. Or you should accept the whole order and implement it. How can you say that you will accept this para of the order but not accept that para of the same order?” Kejriwal had asked the LG in his letter.

The LG also accused Kejriwal of leaking his letter to media.

“Before your letter reached my office, it appeared on social and electronic media,” he said in his reply to Kejriwal.

“Baijal noted that the chief minister quoted selectively from his letter of July 6 and erroneously accused him of selective acceptance of the July 4 verdict of Supreme Court,” according to a statement by the LG’s office.

“While the entire judgement and its implications are still being studied, it may kindly be noted that in the concluding paras, Hon’ble Court while answering the reference has directed to place the matters before the appropriate regular Bench.  Therefore, further clarity will be achieved when the appeals pending before the Ld. Regular Bench are finally disposed off,” the L-G had written in his July 6 letter.

Reiterating that appeals were pending before the regular bench of Supreme Court, Baijal in his response on Monday said it would be premature to draw any conclusions at this stage.

(With inputs from agencies)