New Delhi: Upset after some key bureaucrats were transferred, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “hellbent on destroying” the capital through the office of the Lieutenant Governor (LG).
“Today, several officers were transferred by the Lieutenant Governor directly. The files pertaining to their transfer were not even shown to chief minister or any minister. Is this Modi model of democracy? Modi is hellbent on destroying Delhi through the Lieutenant Governor,” Kejriwal tweeted.
He reacted after LG Najeeb Jung suddenly transferred Delhi’s Health Secretary Tarun Sen and Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Sarvagya Srivastava, among others, on Tuesday.
Jung had rejected Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s request not to transfer these officials until March 31.
Reacting strongly to the LG’s order, Sisodia said, if the quality of health and education in Delhi deteriorates, Modi himself will be directly responsible as he is creating hurdles in the functioning of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government.
“We have got to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Lieutenant Governor on phone to transfer these two offices. Modi can go to any extent. If the quality of education and health deteriorates, Modi will be responsible for this,” Sisodia said.
Separately, Health and PWD Minister Satyendra Jain said the LG was stopping all constructive activities of the Delhi government.
“We had requested the LG not to transfer the two secretaries as they were involved in developing local health clinics and classrooms in schools. They were doing good work but the LG did not listen to us,” Jain told the media here.
Recently, the Delhi High Court ruled that the LG remains the administrative head in the national capital, and not the CM.
Last week, Kejriwal had claimed that Jung and the Centre wanted to “reverse” numerous decisions of public importance, including the decision to increase minimum wages and holding power distribution companies accountable for unscheduled outages, among other measures.
Kejriwal also alleged that Modi had asked Jung to do what power companies want.
“Modi is in the pockets of power companies. Power companies are hand in glove with Modi. The Prime Minister himself asked LG to do what these power companies say,” Kejriwal had tweeted.
Earlier this month, Jung had instructed that all transfers or postings of officers should be placed before him. Sisodia appealed to the LG that officers in charge of the flagship schemes should at least not be removed.
Sisodia later informed the media that the LG expressed helplessness and said he was acting at the behest of the central government.
