Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led a march to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s home on Monday to protest against his alleged interference in the working of the Aam Aadmi Party government in the national capital.
The Delhi government’s recent tussle with the lieutenant governor pertains to a proposal to send teachers at state-run schools to Finland for a training programme.
“LG returned the file proposal to send Delhi government school teachers to Finland, asking to get cost benefit analysis done,” Kejriwal said, reported The Indian Express. “He says get them trained somewhere in the country. LG and BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] are trying to ruin the education of our children.”
However, Saxena said that he has not rejected the government’s proposal. “Any statement, on the contrary, is deliberately misleading and mischievously motivated,” a statement from his office said.
Kejriwal also alleged that the lieutenant governor said that a 2018 judgement of the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre could be an opinion of the court.
The 2018 verdict had underlined that Delhi’s elected government exercises control over all subjects in the city except three – land, police and public order. These three are known as reserved subjects and controlled by the Centre. In other matters, the lieutenant governor will have to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers, the court had said.
On Monday, the Delhi Assembly was adjourned after members of the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP argued about Saxena’s alleged interference in the functioning of the state government, reported PTI.
Saxena, however, approved the next meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on January 24 for the oath-taking of councillors and the election of mayor and deputy mayor, reported PTI.
On January 6, elections for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor were stalled after AAP and BJP councillors had clashed during the meeting of the civic body. The point of conflict between the two parties was the appointment of 10 aldermen by Saxena.
Aldermen are persons who have special knowledge of municipal administration and are tasked with assisting the House in decisions of public importance.
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