Taking on Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, Arvind Kejriwal's government on Tuesday cancelled the notification appointing joint commissioner M K Meena as chief of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on the grounds that no such post exists. The L-G responded by declaring the government move as “bad in law and “ab initio void“.
Jung's office warned the state that “such orders issued without authority shall invite appropriate action under rules.“ The new ACB chief, Meena, too, has threatened the vigilance department which issued the order with legal action if there was any interference in the functioning of the ACB. Meanwhile, home secretary Dharampal -a senior IAS officer -has paid the price. While at work, he was told he was being removed with immediate effect and asked to report to the home ministry . He was punished for issuing orders to notify Meena's appointment without informing the CM's office. Since appointment and transfer of principal secretary, home and land and building, like that of chief secretary cannot be done without consultation with and approval of the MHA, the L-G, according to some sources, has already rejected the move.
Soon after Dharampal's removal, CM's principal secretary, Rajendra Kumar, was given the charge of home. He then rushed to withdraw the home department's notification on Meena's appointment and quashed it.
This is when the L-G stepped in with a letter to the state, warning against such a move. “The order regarding M KMeena, IPS, looking after the work of joint commissioner of police, ACB, was issued after approval of the competent authority , L-G,“ the letter from his office stated. It was pointed out that the state's order to withdraw the notification of Meena's appointment did not have the approval of the L-G.
Earlier on Tuesday , the new ACB chief, Meena, had taken charge though he remained unwelcome and had to sit in the room of a DCP . When Meena began holding meetings, the vigilance department handed him a letter, asking him to go back. Therefore, Meena's appointment creates a clash, they say . Meena, however, has dug in his heels. He wrote back to the director, vigilance: “I am to state that I have already taken over the charge of joint commissioner of police, ACB, in pursuance to the order of L-G. Such references undermine the authority of ACB. Hence, it is a kind of interference in the working of a notified police station.“
Kejriwal shielding his min: BJP
T he arrest of Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar has come as a big boost for the BJP, which was the first to raise the issue of his fake degree during the Delhi assembly elections. The opposition is now demanding action against all the AAP MLAs who have corruption and criminal cases registered against them. “It is strange that the CM who claims to be fighting against corruption has all along been shielding a minister involved in corrupt practices. The government should have initiated action against Tomar soon after the matter came to light. But he was appointed as the law minister. We want the government to sack him,“ said Vijender Gupta, leader of opposition in Delhi assembly. TNN
CM ignored findings: Bar Council
T he Bar Council of Delhi, which had complained to Delhi police against Jitender Tomar, has questioned CM Arvind Kejriwal for favouring his law minister. The BCD chairman, K K Manan, denied any “political vendetta“ behind its move. “Why is the CM favouring the minister despite our prima facie findings against him in the inquiry? He should have got Tomar's claim verified, he has the entire infrastructure,“ said Manan. “If his degrees are genuine, why has the minister not given us the documents till date? What presumption would be drawn from it,“ asked the chairman, pointing out that first the Delhi HC and later BCD repeatedly gave time to Tomar to prove his degrees were valid.
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