File picture shows Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the Budget session of Delhi Assembly. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
The Delhi Government on Saturday convened a special session of the Legislative Assembly on May 26 and 27.
The House will discuss the Union Home Ministry’s notification issued on Friday granting supremacy to the Lieutenant Governor in matters pertaining to public order, police, land and services.
The decision to convene the special session was taken at a Delhi Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Legal opinion
Official sources said legal opinion of noted constitutional experts K.K. Venugopal and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium was placed before the Cabinet and discussed.
The Cabinet also decided that “depending on the requirement” the session could be extended.
The session, which was originally scheduled for June, is being advanced in light of the ongoing stalemate between the AAP Government and L-G Najeeb Jung over division of powers.
The Cabinet met at the State Secretariat here in the wake of the Centre taking a tough stance against the AAP Government and at least two Union Ministers launching stinging attacks on Mr. Kejriwal.
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said Mr. Kejriwal only wanted “drama” while the NDA Government believed in governance. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Venkaiah Naidu, said the AAP leader’s behaviour was “uncivilised”.
Mr Kejriwal had on Friday reacted to the MHA notification by accusing the Centre of betraying the people of Delhi and trying to run the Capital's affairs through the backdoor.
>Read: More constitutional than political>
Fact files
- »May 18, 2015: AAP appointed senior bureaucrat Arvind Ray as Principal Secretary (General Administration) bypassing Najeeb Jung.
- »May 19, 2015: Jung asserts that he was the sole authority in matters of ordering transfer and posting of bureaucrats.
- »May 19, 2015: Kejriwal and Jung separately met the President while accusing each other of breaking the fine balance of jurisdictions.
- »May 20, 2015: Jung cancelled all appointments made by the Delhi government.
- »May 20, 2015: The Centre asked Najeeb Jung and Arvind Kejriwal to sit together and find a solution to the ongoing turf war.
- »May 20, 2015: Congress accused AAP and BJP of “deliberately” creating a “constitutional crisis”.
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Kejriwal, Jung take their fight to President
Jung reportedly apprised Mr. Mukherjee of the stand-off, while maintaining that he had the power to appoint and transfer officers.
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Delhi battle intensifies as Jung cancels Kejriwal’s appointments
Kejriwal wrote to Mr. Jung questioning his move. He wanted to know under what provisions the Lieutenant-Governor had exercised his authority.
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Kejriwal ups ante against Lieutenant-Governor Jung
Acting Chief Secretary Shakuntala D. Gamlin was appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor’s office despite the objections of the AAP government.
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Kejriwal-Jung impasse: The battle is for statehood
At the core of the current impasse between the Lieutenant-Governor and the Delhi Government is an issue which has the potential to transform the political climate of the Capital forever, insiders say.
