New Delhi: The Delhi government got a setback on Thursday as the high court ruled in favour of the lieutenant governor in a tussle for the reins of the Capital and quashed two high-profile probes set up by the Aam Aadmi Party administration.
An HC bench headed by chief justice G Rohini said L-G Najeeb Jung is Delhi’s administrative head and isn’t bound by the advice of the city council of ministers.
The decision is a huge setback to the AAP government that wants complete control of the city and has repeatedly blamed the L-G of trying to rule by proxy and bypassing an elected administration.
But the bench sided with Jung, saying decisions taken by the Delhi ministers had to be communicated to the L-G and referred to the Centre in case of a dispute.
The court also scrapped the AAP government’s directive to the city power regulator to compensate consumers in case of unscheduled power cuts as the decision wasn’t communicated to the L-G.
“On a reading of Article 239 and Article 239AA (special provisions to Delhi) of the Constitution together with the provisions of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991… it becomes manifest that Delhi continues to be a Union Territory,” the bench said.
This means the city government has no control over important departments such as law and order and agencies such as the Delhi Development Authority.
The AAP said it will challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.
