Delhi / Against Constitution: Kejriwal as L-G holds COVID-19 review meet

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal held a meeting on Wednesday to review the Covid-19 situation in Delhi and the city’s preparedness to deal with it. The meeting, which was attended by the chief secretary, additional chief secretary (home and health), divisional commissioner, secretary (health), DMRC MD and other officials, has become another flashpoint in the relations between the LG and the Delhi government.

Within a few hours, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal sent out a tweet objecting to the LG holding a meeting on an important subject without involving the elected government.

In his tweet, Kejriwal said: “It is against Constitution and Supreme Court Constitution Bench judgement to hold such parallel meetings behind the back of the elected government. We are a democracy. People have elected a council of ministers. If you have any questions, please ask our ministers. Avoid holding direct meetings with officers. Let’s respect democracy, Sir”. He was quoting a tweet of the LG in which the LG had shared the outcome of the meeting.

At the LG’s meeting, the health department was advised to ensure that all oxygen PSA plants, liquid medical oxygen storage tanks and cryogenic bottling plants were commissioned latest by August 31 and provisions for adequate buffer stocks of medicines related to Covid-19 and black fungus be made so that any surge in Covid-19 cases can be effectively mitigated and managed.

At the meeting, concern was expressed about reported violations of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in metro and other means of public transport. The divisional commissioner, Delhi Police and chief of DMRC were asked to ensure that Covid-19 protocols were strictly enforced. “Advised the health department to widely disseminate the graded action plan and to undertake targeted testing in venues/sites opened up to ascertain the impact for further informed decision-making,” the LG tweeted.

The elected government and the LG had recently crossed swords over similar meetings in the past. In a long letter to the LG, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had said the meetings were unconstitutional and against the Supreme Court’s April 2018 ruling, adding that it was akin to the murder of democracy.

The LG responded to Sisodia’s letter by calling the charges baseless. He remarked that the AAP government has attached incorrect connotations to his acts done in good faith and to facilitate coordination between the central and state government agencies to ensure effective implementation in the larger interest of welfare of the people. The LG defended the meetings and said that they were strictly within the ambit of constitutional provisions and responsibilities entrusted to the LG’s office.

The LG’s office did not react to the CM’s objection to the LG’s Wednesday meeting.