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The Delhi High Court verdict that the Lt Governor is the city administration's boss triggered a fresh war of words on Thursday between the Aam Aadmi Party government and incumbent Najeeb Jung, who said he felt sorry for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and that his interpretation of the Constitution is "laughable".
Refusing to back down, the AAP government said it will challenge the order in the Supreme Court, asserting it has been targeted for trying to contain corruption. It also questioned why the Constitution was amended to have a legislative assembly if the city was to be run by the LG.
Jung said that all the issues raised by AAP government have been declared wrong by the Court, suggesting that approaching the apex court on the matter will be futile.
"I feel sorry for him (Kejriwal). Because he shows a paranoia which is really of concern. He should mature," Jung said, calling handling of certain issues by the Chief Minister "childish" and his interpretation of certain provisions of the Constitution "laughable".
Jung also said the Delhi government will have to take corrective measures after the verdict.
"We respectfully disagree with the High Court verdict," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, adding there was a "big difference" between any other Union Territory and the national capital and alleged that on the "pretext of rules", various decisions aimed at curbing corruption have been stalled.
Jung, addressing a rare press conference, said a number of decisions including Delhi Government's directions to power regulator DERC, appointment of government representatives to BSES board and certain orders relating to tax will have to be "corrected" as they did not have his concurrence.
At the same time, he said the Court's ruling that he is the "administrative head" of Delhi was neither a victory for him nor a defeat for Kejriwal, noting fulcrum of the verdict was to protect the sanctity of Constitution.
The BJP and Congress attacked the AAP government asking it to respect Constitutional provisions.
Arguing that AAP government has been targeted for trying to contain corruption, Sisodia said "The High Court says Delhi is merely an Union Territory. If as per Constitution Delhi is only an UT, then why was it amended to make Delhi an UT with legislature.
"If Delhi was to be run by the Lt Governor, then why was the Constitution amended to have state assembly. Why provision was made to have an elected government. We were targeted as we tried to rid the city of corruption," he told reporters.
Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said city government will move the Supreme Court against the HC verdict.
"Several acts of the Parliament relating to Delhi have defined both the Lt Governor and the Government of NCT as different entities. So, if Constitution had considered Delhi a mere UT, the city would have functioned like Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Andamans. But it is not so," Sisodia said.
In a huge setback to the Kejriwal government, the High Court held that the LG is the administrative head of the National Capital Territory and the AAP government's contention that he is bound to act on the advice of Council of Ministers was "without substance".
The Lt Governor, who had a long running battle with the AAP government on a host of jurisdictional issues, said he always wanted to protect the provisions of the Constitution and did not agree to AAP government's decisions when he found they were at variance with the laid down norms.
"It is not a victory of anyone. It is not a win for Najeeb Jung and loss for Arvind Kejriwal. The court order is a kind of clarification that incorrect things will have to be corrected," he said.
On Kejriwal's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jung said stature of a PM is far bigger than that of a chief minister of a Union Territory.
Asked about the language used by Kejriwal to criticise him, Jung said a Chief Minister should not use such language. "I have stopped reacting."
"I have not differed from the Constitutional line even to a comma. So, what has been stopped has been violative of the Constitution."
On the Commission of Inquiry ordered by Kejriwal into alleged irregularities in DDCA, he said it was done with a "malafide" intention.
Sisodia said people of Delhi had brought AAP to power with a historic mandate hoping that that corruption will "end" in all spheres of governance and when AAP started to fulfil people's aspirations, the efforts to curtail "rights of a democratically elected government" had started.
Targeting Jung, Sisodia said Kejriwal government was consistently prevented by the LG and Centre from taking any action against corruption since it was formed.
"They wanted a government in Delhi which cannot take action in cases of corruption, compensate farmers, transfer officials.
"This decision of the High Court should be seen in this background. The government had approached the court after it was stopped from doing all these works," he said.
A Delhi government spokesperson said that the verdict shows it has "undermined powers of council of ministers mentioned in the Constitution".
Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha said "a democratically elected government cannot be undermined. This isn't a fight for supremacy, but democracy".
Photograph: PTI Photo