Kejriwa To Meet President Over Controversy On Appointment Of Delhi Acting Chief Secretary

19 may, New Delhi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday amidst escalating tensions between Delhi government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung following the appointment of senior IAS officer Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary.
Kejriwal had sought appointment for a meeting with the President. According to sources in Chief Minister’s Office, the President House has given him appointment at 6 in the evening.

Shakuntala Gamlin yesterday met Union Home Secretary LC Goyal. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, Rakesh Singh were also present in the meeting. Sources said the meeting was held to discuss routine administrative matters. The meeting is being considered significant in the wake of Delhi Chief Minister ordering the removal of Anindo Majumdar from the post of Principal Secretary, Services.

Delhi government yesterday locked Majumdar’s office ostensibly because he cleared Gamlin’s appointment as acting Chief Secretary. In an another development, Lieutenant Governor rejected the appointment of Rajendra Kumar as Principal Secretary, Services by Arvind Kejriwal Government in place of Majumdar. Rajendra Kumar was Secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Reacting to the appointment, Jung shot off a letter to Kejriwal, declaring Rajendra Kumar’s appointment in place of Majumdar void, noting that it did not have his approval.

Meanwhile, Swaraj Abhiyan, a group formed by ousted AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, has come out in support of Delhi government over the controversy of appointment of acting Chief Secretary Shakuntala Gamlin.
In an official release, it said, the choice of a democratically elected government should be respected by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor.