The Delhi government will not be run from jail, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said on Wednesday in the backdrop of statements by Aam Aadmi Party leaders that Arvind Kejriwal will continue as chief minister even if he is behind bars.
AAP national convener Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and subsequently remanded in the agency's custody till March 28 by a court in New Delhi.
AAP leaders on several occasions ruled out Kejriwal's resignation, insisting that he will run his government from inside the jail.
Replying to a query at the Times Now Summit, the Delhi LG said, "I can assure the people of Delhi that the government will not be run from jail."
Kejriwal issued his second work order from ED's custody on Tuesday instructing Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to ensure that medicines and tests are available to people at all government hospitals and Mohalla Clinics.
Earlier on Sunday, the AAP supremo gave instructions to Water Minister Atishi to solve water and sewer-related problems in some areas of Delhi.
In an apparent attack on the AAP dispensation, Saxena said, "As kids, we all have heard the proverb 'lohe ke chane chabana' (to face great difficulty). After coming to Delhi I actually realised the meaning of this proverb.
"In this city to get any work done it feels like 'lohe ke chane chabana'. Whatever you try to do, there are some forces that put their e entire strength into stopping that work. And if you are able to successfully complete that work, then these forces try to take credit."
After Kejriwal's arrest on March 21st, Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi said that he would continue as the chief minister and run the city government from prison if needed. Kejriwal's Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann also said that the party's supremo cannot be replaced.
Meanwhile, AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have been holding protests with Kejriwal's party demanding his release while the latter is pressing for his resignation.
Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in court.
