Delhi LG says Arvind Kejriwal threatened him, slams sit-in by CM, ministers

In a statement, the LG office said Anil Baijal told Arvind Kejriwal during their meeting advised the CM to build an 'atmosphere of trust' and address the genuine concerns of the bureaucracy.

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New Delhi: Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Monday slammed the sit-in by Arvind Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues at his office, calling it another dharna without reason", and alleged that he was "threatened" by the CM to summon officers at the Raj Niwas and end their "strike".

In a statement, the LG office said Baijal told Kejriwal during their meeting that there was "no strike" by officers and advised the CM to build an "atmosphere of trust" and address the genuine concerns of the bureaucracy, which has been been at loggerheads with the Kejriwal government since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs in February.

Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and two ministers Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain met Baijal this evening and decided to stay put at his office till their three demands were accepted, including a direction to IAS officers to end their "strike" and action against officers who have struck work for "four months".

Kejriwal tweeted at 6 pm from the waiting room of the LG office that a letter was handed over to Baijal but he refused to take action. Later, Baijal left his office for a pre-scheduled appointment, even as the CM and his three ministers stayed in the waiting room of the LG secretariat. 

The LG office said that it is another protest by AAP in the sequence of "dharna without reason".

"In the meeting, the LG was threatened by the CM who demanded that the officers should be immediately summoned at Raj Niwas and directions should be given to end the so-called 'strike'," the statement by LG office said.

"In an unprecedented move that betrays little respect and dignity for constitutional offices, CM, deputy CM and the two ministers remained defiant and continued to pressurise that the officers must be immediately summoned to Raj Niwas and the so-called 'agitation' be called off, and immediate approval of proposal for doorstep delivery of rations be given. 

"In response, it was reiterated by LG that there is no strike by employees and in his continued interactions with officers, it has been informed that the atmosphere of mistrust and fear continues and no sincere attempts to resolve the differences have been made so far," it said.

"Two wrongs never make a right. Since the CM and ministers refused to listen to this suggestion and as LG had pre-scheduled appointments at his residence, he had no option but to leave the office," the LG office stated.

About the CM's demand for LG's nod for proposed doorstep delivery of ration, the statement stated that the file on the scheme is still lying with the Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain for nearly three months.

"Hence, it will only be appropriate to expedite the matter of taking up the proposal with the Government of India at the earliest as pointed out by the law department, GNCTD that such a scheme requires prior approval of Central Govt. Under National Food Security Act, 2013," it stated.