‘It is neither a win for Najeeb Jung nor loss for Arvind Kejriwal’

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has called the verdict of Delhi high court a victory of the Constitution of India. For the first time Jung also declared that only four to five Bills passed by Delhi Assembly were referred back by Central government and not all the 14 as reported. 

In the press conference called after the court pronounced the verdict, Jung came with a copy of the Constitution of  India and a framed copy of the ‘oath of office for LG’ and posed to cameras with both the documents.

“It’s not a victory of anyone. It is neither a win for Najeeb Jung nor loss for Arvind Kejriwal. The court order is a kind of clarification that incorrect things will have to be corrected,” said Najeeb Jung. 

He further added the court verdict was historic and the government should now start corrective steps. 

“When we get elected, it doesn’t mean we are rulers, instead we will have to work and confine ourselves to our roles and jobs which are in the framework of the Constitution,” added Jung. 

He further said that like people elected 67 MLAs for Kejriwal, they also elected seven MPs and MCD councilors. “We all work in our jurisdiction as decided in the Constitution. The job of my office is to correct the wrongs committed by the elected government and to ensure that the rules made by the Assembly and decisions taken by the elected government are as per the Constitution and existing rules,” he added. Jung also said that as per Constitution, he reports to the Central government and is representative of the President. “It’s a Constitutional fact and I am not ashamed of it,” he added. 

On the issue of the decision taken in the past without his approval LG said: “We are not going to annul the decisions. My office will ask the government to correct the decision and send them to the LG Office for approval. 

“We will examine them,” he added. LG also said that some decisions of the Delhi government were declared illegal only because of lapse of procedure like circle rates. “In 99 per cent decisions my, office had no conflict with the elected government and I approved them. It was only in a handful of decisions that I had different opinion,” he added. 

He further said that so far the Delhi government had sent around 200 transfers of senior IAS officers for approval out of which he had objected to only four or five cases. “It has no substance that the LG Office approves transfer of peons. We only approve transfer of a handful to IAS officers like Commissioners and Secretaries,” he clarified.  He further added that neither he nor any members of his office ever used any foul language against them. 

“We never initiative aggression,” he added. The LG also came with a copy of the Balkrishnan Report 1989 on the basis of which Delhi was provided Legislative Assembly.