Showing “insensitivity and lack of seriousness”, Delhi ministers refused to attend meetings called by Lt Governor VK Saxena to discuss functioning of their ministries following the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the L-G has said in a letter to the Union home ministry.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
In his letter to the Union home secretary, the L-G said such a consultation was necessary “so that routine works of governance are not hampered” in the backdrop of Kejriwal’s detention but the ministers declined his invite on the “specious ground” that the model code of conduct was in force.
“Upon the arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi and subsequent events, especially those related to public health infrastructure in the city, the impeding Summer Action Plan for water availability, etc playing out in the public domain, Lt Governor had decided to convene a meeting of key ministers of GNCTD dealing with the departments of water, education, health, transport, environment & forest etc,” according to the letter from the L-G Secretariat.
An intimation was sent to Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj for a meeting on April 2, the letter stated. “However, all the ministers have vide e-mails declined to attend the said meeting on the specious ground that since the model code of conduct is in force, such a meeting would not be appropriate at this stage,” it said.
“Hon’ble Lt Governor believes that a consultation of this nature was warranted so that routine works of governance are not hampered in the backdrop of arrest and detention of the chief minister,” the letter added.
It was also noted in the letter that “the rationale adduced for not attending the meeting appears vague and exhibits lack of seriousness and insensitivity to matters affecting the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi”.
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