Delhi LG VK Saxena, AAP ministers’ war of words reaches Ministry of Home Affairs

The war of words between Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has reached new heights after the LG sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs complaining about the AAP ministers’ refusal to attend a meeting called by him. The Delhi government, on the other hand, lashed out at the LG Secretariat for “total confusion in the LG’s office”. 

LG VK Saxena in his letter to the home ministry complained that AAP ministers, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot and Atishi, have refused to attend meetings called by him on issues related to health infrastructure and the summer action plan. 

The LG Secretariat, he stated, sought meetings with the ministers on March 29 and April 2. “However, all the ministers have vide emails declined to attend the said meeting on the specious ground that since the model code of conduct is in force, such a meeting would not be appropriate at this stage," the letter to MHA stated, adding that LG Saxena believes that the meeting was important to ensure that routine works of governance are not hampered. 

The Delhi government, meanwhile, said there was confusion in the LG’s office regarding his role in the “subjects transferred to the elected government of Delhi as per the Constitution of India". 

"In the note sent just few days back by LG's office to MHA, the LG's office says it has no control over subjects transferred to the Delhi government. It specifically states ‘...that Finance and Water are transferred subjects, and the Lt Governor has no role whatsoever in decisions taken thereof…’ But in the new note sent today to the MHA, the LG is saying the ministers are not responding to his queries on transferred subjects. Can the Hon'ble LG please make up his mind?” the government said.

The AAP government accused the LG’s office of indulging in “repeated attacks” targeting the Delhi government. It said that after the GNCTD Amendment Act 2023, “the bureaucracy appears increasingly hell bent, unanswerable and unaccountable to the elected government".

It said that the elected government repeatedly sought prompt investigations into the actions of officers who are acting against the interest of Delhi citizens.

The AAP government expressed the need for concrete action beyond social media commentary and called for quick investigations and decisive actions against officers who ignore ministerial directives. The government stated that the LG office's main role, aside from land, public order, and police matters, is to initiate swift investigations into these officers' actions. However, it lamented that the LG office has been providing trivial excuses despite the urgency of the situation.