Delhi LG Anil Baijal calls deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s allegations ‘baseless’, 'devoid of any merit'

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has dismissed Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's allegation that the former was intruding into matters falling in the domain of the elected government. Manish Sisodia had called upon Baijal to "stop calling a meeting of officials on such matters and giving them directions".

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New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday (July 22, 2021) dismissed Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s allegation against him. Sisodia, on July 17, had said that Delhi LG has been intruding into matters falling in the domain of the elected government and had urged Baijal "to stop taking decisions on matters under elected government".

Manish Sisodia had also called upon Baijal to "stop calling a meeting of officials on such matters and giving them directions".

"Your such meetings and the decisions taken in it are not only unconstitutional but also a violation of orders of Supreme Court. Sidelining the elected government and your calling meeting of officials and taking decisions in them is a murder of democracy. Whatever the political pressures on you, please do as L-G what will further strengthen the democracy," Sisodia had said.

Responding to these allegations, Delhi LG Baijal said that he will continue to work for the people of the national capital as per the Supreme Court’s judgment. Baijal also hit on Delhi’s Deputy CM by saying that his letter cited no evidence or instance where his guidance given in meetings had obstructed the implementation of decisions taken by the elected government. Delhi LG dismissed the allegations by calling them baseless and devoid of any merit. 

"In your letter, no specific evidence or instance has been cited where guidance given by me in the meetings has in any manner obstructed the implementation of decisions taken by the elected government," read Baijal’s letter to Sisodia. Baijal also justified his meetings by saying that they were called by him are strictly within the ambit of the constitutional provisions and responsibilities entrusted to his office.

"I would like to inform you that meetings that have been called by me in the past months have been strictly within the ambit of constitutional provisions and responsibilities entrusted to this office," Baijal said in his letter.

The feud between the Delhi government and the Delhi LG continues. Sisodia had said that for the last about three months, the Lt Governor has been calling the key officers of various departments of the Delhi government in his office, "holding a meeting with them and also giving guidelines regarding the work related to their departments."

"You are also giving directions to the concerned officers by calling the concerned officers in your meeting without informing the ministers about the works coming under the purview of the elected government of Delhi. Later the officers of the Lieutenant Governor’s office put constant pressure on the officials of the government to implement those decisions," Sisodia had alleged.

"I would like to request that you stop the decision-making activities in the subjects which come under the elected government of Delhi. Stop calling officers’ meetings on these subjects and giving them instructions. These meetings of yours and the decisions taken in them are not only unconstitutional but also a violation of the order of the Supreme Court," the AAP leader had said. 

(With ANI inputs)