New Delhi: The appointment of police officers from outside the state into Delhi’s anticorruption bureau (ACB) has kicked off a fresh controversy in the ongoing turf war between the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
Five policemen — two inspectors and three sub inspectors — from Bihar joined the ACB on Monday following request by Kejriwal to his counterparts in Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha to depute some officers due to acute shortage of police officers in the local Delhi Police.
Office of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung reacted sharply Tuesday by saying any such appointment would require his prior sanction.
Signalling the beginning of a new battle, the LG office clarified that no proposal for the deputation of such personnel from outside Delhi Police has been received by Jung.
“The Anti Corruption Bureau Delhi, being a police station, functions under the authority, control and supervision of the Lt Governor, a position that has also been clarified by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the LG office said in a statement while referring to the federal government’s order of October 21 which has been challenged by the Kejriwal government in Delhi High Court.
“The office of the Lt Governor has so far not received any proposal for the deputation of such personnel from outside Delhi Police. The matter will be duly examined as and when the Lt Governor receives the formal proposal from the vigilance department of Delhi government,” the LG’s office added.
The statement issued by the LG office has put question mark over fate of the five Bihar police officers as their appointment may thus become null and void.
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost no time in putting the blame on Kejriwal saying the LG has the administrative authority to take such decisions. “LG is acting within his rights. Kejriwal is being unconstitutional,” BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said.
Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back at Lt Governor Jung. “The Lieutenant Governor is being controlled and directed by the Centre. The Lieutenant Governor is becoming a hurdle ... The BJP doesn’t want a strong ACB in Delhi,” senior AAP leader Ashutosh said.
AAP has repeatedly accused Jung of being an agent of the BJP. Delhi being a Union Territory, the federal government has control over certain departments including law and order and land. The federal government’s rights are exercised by the Lt Governor.
Request to non-BJP governments of some states to send on deputation policemen for Delhi ACB has heavy political undertone as Kejriwal seeks help of the non-BJP state governments in launching a united front against the Narendra Modi government at the centre, accusing Prime Minister Modi of systematically killing federal structure of the country.
Delhi government’s request to the Delhi Police to depute nearly 600 officers in ACB is pending due to staff crunch faced by the Delhi Police.
Kejriwal and Jung have been involved in a turf war ever since the AAP came to power in February this year as Kejriwal tends to ignore the Lt Governor while taking some crucial decisions which under the constitution requires prior sanction of the Lt Governor.
