BJP attempting coup: AAP govt

[Nicky G]

Gamlin takes charge ignoring CM; BJP attempting coup: AAP govt

NEW DELHI: The confrontation between Delhi lt governor Najeeb Jung and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal deepened on Saturday with senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin taking charge as acting chief secretary despite being asked not to do so by the AAP government which accused BJP of attempting a "coup" against it through the LG.

Gamlin took charge of the post hours after Kejriwal sent her a letter asking her not to do so as her appointment was "against" the rules.

Jung had on Friday appointed Gamlin as Delhi chief secretary, notwithstanding strong opposition to her nomination by Kejriwal dispensation which alleged that she had close links with BSES discoms. The 1984-batch officer has, however, denied the charges saying they were baseless.

Chief secretary K K Sharma has left for the US on a personal visit due to which the government had to appoint an acting chief secretary. Gamlin is currently serving as power secretary.

"The BJP through LG of Delhi has attempted a coup against the democratically elected government of Delhi with highest ever mandate in the history of the state.

"This is for the first time that LG is issuing direct instruction to officers, bypassing the chief ministers and council of ministers," Manish Sisodia, who also holds charge of services department, said.

Meanwhile, Parimal Rai, who was backed by Arvind Kejriwal, declined to become acting chief secretary, noting that he respects the lt governor's directions.

The lt governor on Friday gave the additional charge of chief secretary to Gamlin, hours after she wrote a scathing letter to Jung claiming that she was pressured by a senior bureaucrat in CM's office to withdraw from the race.

READ ALSO: LG names acting chief secretary, Delhi CM attacks 'unconstitutional' order

"The Constitution, GNCT act of Delhi and Transaction of Business Rules clearly define what LG can do. In case of a dispute or difference of opinion between LG and council of ministers, LG could have called the minister concerned to discuss the matter," Sisodia said.

Jung had yesterday rebutted AAP government's allegations saying under Article 239 AA of the Constitution of India, saying the lt governor is the representative of State Authority in Delhi.

READ ALSO: Shakuntala Gamlin takes charge as acting chief secy of Delhi

"Even after that if council of ministers disagreed, he could have referred the matter to the President and his advice could have been conveyed to council of ministers," the ddputy chief Minister said.

Calling LG's move an act "against the Constitution", Sisodia said, "I was not informed by LG and he does not have power to issue direct instructions to officers. He has clearly acted against the Constitution and laws relevant to Delhi.

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[The Huskar]

So the mental diarrhoea from AAP continues.

 

[Nicky G]

So the mental diarrhoea from AAP continues.

They are just street nautankis who were foolishly voted in. Now we get to enjoy however long they last.

He escalated on a petty matter and now will face further humiliation similar to SC calling him out on his defamation hypocrisy.

Did Kejriwal bite more than he can chew?

NEW DELHI: Has Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal taken an avoidable risk in starting a confrontation over who gets to officiate as chief secretary for a mere 10 days when incumbent KK Sharma will be on leave and by referring his dispute with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to President Pranab Mukherjee?

The question was being discussed animatedly in the political and bureaucratic circles with many thinking that Kejriwal may have recklessly upped stakes for himself on an issue on which the law, as experts feel, may not be aligned with his stance. They feel that the confrontation carries the risk of renewing suspicions whether the AAP leadership has the maturity to govern the national capital within the restraints laid down under the Constitution, and was avoidable.

"This is the best way of validating those who always held that AAP was too reckless and confrontationist to be tasked with the serious business of governance," said a source not considered to be hostile to the group of former activists.

But the cost of the confrontation can grow several times if Rahstrapati Bhavan's interpretation of the Constitution is at odds with AAP's take on the powers of chief minister. Sources said Kejriwal should have known that Mukherjee, being a text book president, will go along with the views of the ministry of home affairs. Although the home ministry has taken the care of not jumping into the fray, perhaps for the fear of being accused of vendetta, sources say it has staunchly endorsed Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's stand.

Otherwise too, those who know the President, say that he views himself as the "custodian of Constitution" and was unlikely to acquiesce into any extravagant interpretation of the letter.

Kejriwal may regret his decision to precipitate a fight on a routine decision concerning bureaucracy, if that indeed turns out to be the case.

Official sources on Saturday said the LG briefed the home ministry about the situation arising out of Gamlin's appointment. The ministry, sources said, advised Jung to act as per the Constitution.

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PS: Any idea where the AAPtards run off to whenever their dear Kejru is in trouble?

 

[The Huskar]

PS: Any idea where the AAPtards run off to whenever their dear Kejru is in trouble?

Probably induced hypocrisy is keeping them away from Kejru related threads.I heard it is going viral among AAPtards.

 

[Nicky G]

The Kejriwal mantra: Can’t govern, will fight

Shakuntala Gamlin was appointed power secretary only a few months ago. If Mr Kejriwal believes she is a discredited officer, why has he retained her in the same department?

In many senses, the seriousness of a new government and of a Prime Minister or chief minister recently elected to office can be measured by the manner in which he or she copes with the civil service. An absolute surrender to the bureaucracy — and allowing it to have its way on all occasions, without offering any relevant political input — is counterproductive. However, its opposite is not unmitigated hostility.

Whether we like it or not and whether we want to persist with it or not, the body of government servants, with the senior civil service at its apex, constitutes the permanent executive. This is the arc of continuity and delivery mechanism in the administrative system as it exists. As such, it is important for governments and politicians to encourage, empower, use and deploy these instruments and these civil servants. This is a necessary condition to fulfil the goals of an election mandate.

This relationship has to be carefully navigated. The manner of navigation is often a test of political maturity. Seasoned and surefooted politicians can give civil servants a certain energy, while retaining supervisory control in their (the politicians’) hands. This relationship is vital because without adequate civil service cooperation and trust, a political executive cannot really succeed. It can complement or supplement the bureaucracy with lateral entrants and political appointees, but it cannot fundamentally bypass the bureaucracy.

In this context, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s war against a senior Indian Administrative Service officer who has been appointed acting chief secretary of Delhi by the lieutenant-governor (L-G) is puzzling and disappointing. The lady in question, Shakuntala Gamlin, has the seniority and the career record to merit the appointment. She will officiate as chief secretary while the incumbent is away on 10 days’ leave. The L-G of Delhi, which is not a full-fledged state and where the L-G has certain administrative powers, is within his rights to appoint Ms Gamlin and not side-step her for a junior officer, as Mr Kejriwal desires.

It is not as if junior colleagues cannot supersede those who are their seniors (by year or rank) in the civil service. Yet, there have to be strong grounds to do so, reflected in the annual confidential reports (ACRs), career history, instance of any professional misconduct and so on.

Mr Kejriwal has been able to establish none of this in Ms Gamlin’s case. Rather, he and his political colleagues have behaved in an extraordinarily feckless manner.

A functionary in the chief minister’s office verbally asked Ms Gamlin to withdraw her name from contention and showed her an unsigned note, allegedly authored by the chief minister or on his behalf, making libellous charges against her and suggesting this would be used to damage her reputation and future prospects. The lady hit back by taking on the threat and refusing to succumb. It appears the root of the controversy is in Ms Gamlin’s objection to unelected Aam Aadmi Party members, those not in the Cabinet, sitting in on closed-door and confidential government meetings.

The Kejriwal government has gone on the offensive. It has publicly said Ms Gamlin is unsuitable because she is “extremely close” to private sector power distribution companies and has been lobbying on their behalf within the administration. This leads to a series of confounding questions.

Ms Gamlin was appointed power secretary only a few months ago. If Mr Kejriwal believes Ms Gamlin is a discredited officer, why has he retained her in the same department?

Next, if an officer makes an argument at a government meeting that may be congruent to an argument being made by a private sector company, then is she being a lobbyist or is she offering professional advice? If she is being a lobbyist, as Mr Kejriwal is implying Ms Gamlin is being, then surely rigorous and additional evidence of the individual’s nexus with the private sector company and her desire to defraud or deprive the public exchequer needs to be offered. A serious charge is usually required to be backed up. Running a government is different from hit-and-run accusations at televised press conferences — unless Mr Kejriwal cannot tell one from the other.

Finally, Mr Kejriwal has advised departments of his government to sue the media for defamation in case of a mischievous, untrue or otherwise damaging report. By that same logic, is Ms Gamlin obliged to sue her own government and chief minister for defamation, for tarnishing her reputation, and for making charges of deliberate professional underperformance without offering a shred or proof? Where would Mr Kejriwal stand on this? Would he be able to clarify or would it become just one more of the many contradictions he has juggled over the years?

There is a larger point too that Mr Kejriwal needs to address. He has spent the past three months enveloped in a series of conflicts, intra-party and external, many of them manufactured to give his support base the impression that the world — the Union government, the L-G, the media, business corporations, the upper middle classes — is conspiring against him. While buying expensive ad time on television and linking his subsidy programme to a supposed decline in corruption in Delhi, he has had little time for strategic priorities and plans. Gimmicks such as the proposal to replace the CBSE and ISC examination systems with a Delhi school education board — which is scarcely a pressing need — cannot substitute for serious governance.

The singling out and victimisation of Ms Gamlin comes in this context. It raises perplexing concerns about what Mr Kejriwal’s goals are. Does he want to settle into five years of sober governance — or is he simply itching for a confrontation with the Narendra Modi government and another bout of street theatre?

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Good that BJP is learning how to attack and take political advantage.

AAP govt insulting north east people: Rijiju

 

[Nicky G]

Now Kejru locks the office. What a little tantrum throwing baby this bozo is.

https://twitter.com/x/status/600189863514607616

 

[HariPrasad]

Gamlin takes charge ignoring CM; BJP attempting coup: AAP govt

NEW DELHI: The confrontation between Delhi lt governor Najeeb Jung and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal deepened on Saturday with senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin taking charge as acting chief secretary despite being asked not to do so by the AAP government which accused BJP of attempting a "coup" against it through the LG.

Gamlin took charge of the post hours after Kejriwal sent her a letter asking her not to do so as her appointment was "against" the rules.

Jung had on Friday appointed Gamlin as Delhi chief secretary, notwithstanding strong opposition to her nomination by Kejriwal dispensation which alleged that she had close links with BSES discoms. The 1984-batch officer has, however, denied the charges saying they were baseless.

Chief secretary K K Sharma has left for the US on a personal visit due to which the government had to appoint an acting chief secretary. Gamlin is currently serving as power secretary.

"The BJP through LG of Delhi has attempted a coup against the democratically elected government of Delhi with highest ever mandate in the history of the state.

"This is for the first time that LG is issuing direct instruction to officers, bypassing the chief ministers and council of ministers," Manish Sisodia, who also holds charge of services department, said.

Meanwhile, Parimal Rai, who was backed by Arvind Kejriwal, declined to become acting chief secretary, noting that he respects the lt governor's directions.

The lt governor on Friday gave the additional charge of chief secretary to Gamlin, hours after she wrote a scathing letter to Jung claiming that she was pressured by a senior bureaucrat in CM's office to withdraw from the race.

READ ALSO: LG names acting chief secretary, Delhi CM attacks 'unconstitutional' order

"The Constitution, GNCT act of Delhi and Transaction of Business Rules clearly define what LG can do. In case of a dispute or difference of opinion between LG and council of ministers, LG could have called the minister concerned to discuss the matter," Sisodia said.

Jung had yesterday rebutted AAP government's allegations saying under Article 239 AA of the Constitution of India, saying the lt governor is the representative of State Authority in Delhi.

READ ALSO: Shakuntala Gamlin takes charge as acting chief secy of Delhi

"Even after that if council of ministers disagreed, he could have referred the matter to the President and his advice could have been conveyed to council of ministers," the ddputy chief Minister said.

Calling LG's move an act "against the Constitution", Sisodia said, "I was not informed by LG and he does not have power to issue direct instructions to officers. He has clearly acted against the Constitution and laws relevant to Delhi.

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Non performing government try its best to divert the people's attention.