Jung versus Kejriwal: AAP cites 2011 Chidambaram letter to claim power over Delhi

New Delhi: The AAP government on Friday cited a communication by former home minister P Chidambaram to the Delhi government in 2011 to counter Lt Governor Najeeb Jung’s assertion that ‘government’ in Delhi meant the LG.

Officials in the Delhi government said that Chidambaram, in a letter to the then chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had “clarified” that the government in Delhi meant the elected government and that Lt Governor was “bound” to act on the aid and advise of the council of ministers.

Chidambaram, in the letter dated January 31, 2011, had cited the then Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati while clarifying the Delhi government’s queries on whether it had the right to fix circle rates.

In the letter to Dikshit, Chidambaram, quoting the Attorney General’s views, said that “government” as per provision of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 andRule 4 of the Delhi Stamp (Prevention of Undervaluation of Instruments) Rules, 2007, read with the provisions of Entry 63 of List II of the seventh schedule of the Constitution" meant government of NCT of Delhi.

The letter came in response to the Dikshit government’s queries about whether it has powers to fix cirle rates in the city.

“Hence the Government of Delhi has the right to fix the minimum rates and Lt governor is bound to act on the aid and advice of the government of Delhi (council of Ministers in this regard). The LG is being advised accordingly in this matter,” the letter said.

Amid his confrontation with AAP government on appointment of DCW chief Swati Maliwal, Jung, in a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday referred to a Home Ministry order of 2002 to assert that “government in Delhi meant the LG”.

Kejriwal had yesterday slammed Jung for his assertion that he was the ‘government in Delhi’, saying it will result in dictatorship and that his stand was not only unconstitutional but “laughable” in a democratic country.

The LG clarified his position on the issue in a letter to the chief minister today, saying that Kejriwal misunderstood him. Jung said it was never been his intent to “negate the position of the chief minister or the authority of the elected government”.

PTI