New Delhi: In an unprecedented move that will further intensify the persistent war of words between the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the House Panel of the Delhi Assembly has decided to summon the LG and anti-corruption branch (ACB) chief MK Meena for questioning in relation to five cases.
The cases were filed with the ACB during the AAP government’s previous 49-day outing in 2014.
Delhi Assembly deputy speaker Rakhi Birla on Thursday said that L-G Najeeb Jung and ACB chief MK Meena will be summoned for “questioning” in connection to five cases. According to Birla, the decision was arrived at following the government seeking legal opinion in the matter.
The matter of summoning the LG, which is unprecedented, also gains significance in view of the fact that the LG is the head of state of Delhi and is only answerable to the President. As the head of Delhi, the LG acts in the name of the President and enjoys the same privileges that the President enjoys.
The Parliament can’t summon the President and the same immunity applies to the LG as well, say experts.
However, Birla, who is also chairperson of the Petitions Committee, said the house panel has decided to summon them after taking legal opinion on the issue. The Petitions Committee of Delhi Assembly looks into complaints received from the public.
The AAP, on the other hand, is apparently utilizing the lack of clarity in the NCT Act on the immunity that the LG enjoys.
A complaint was filed by AAP legislators to the Speaker on Wednesday, which was forwarded to the Petitions Committee. The committee met on Thursday to deliberate on it and decided unanimously to summon Jung, Meena and investigation officers in the cases.
“In the meeting, we decided to summon the L-G, Meena and investigating officer (of the cases) after taking legal opinion on the issue,” said Birla, who is chairperson of the nine-member Petitions Committee.
Birla said this was a serious issue as “two former Central government ministers and one prominent industrialist” are involved in these cases.
On Wednesday, 12 AAP MLAs had gone to Raj Niwas, the L-G’s official residence, and demanded that an FIR be registered against Jung and Meena in these graft case.
The AAP legislators also approached Speaker Ram Niwas Goel who forwarded the letters of Somnath Bharti and another MLA Rajendra Gautam, along with complaints received from common public, to the Petitions Committee of the Assembly.
(With agencies)
