Union Territory Or State? Time For Relook At Delhi, Says Ex Lt Governor

Former Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung told NDTV today that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal deserves to be released from jail and in future, to steer clear of the friction between him and the Lieutenant Governors of Delhi, the status of Delhi itself deserves a relook. The government, he said, should re-evaluate whether Delhi would remain a Union Territory or be upgraded to a state.

"Things have changed. Times have changed and there is great aggression in political parties," he said. When this happens, the situation must be resolved so that the people of Delhi do not suffer.

"It is time to sit and look at Article 239 and decide and debate... This has to be looked at afresh rather than sitting on the 1986 Balakrishna report," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

The reason for this, he said, is the constant friction between a series of Lieutenant Governors and Mr Kejriwal.

While it is clear that the Lieutenant Governor is the topmost administrative authority in Delhi, his powers are limited to public order, policing and land and the rest belongs to the elected government.

Earlier there was no problem but Mr Kejriwal "did not get along" with the LGs or the civil servants, he said, refering to the clashes between the two sides.

Mr Jung's tenure was marked with constant friction with Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, and he stepped down from his post in December 2016 -- 18 months before his tenure was scheduled to end.  

Mr Kejriwal had alleged that the BJP led government was carrying on a proxy war with his government through Mr Jung, accusing him of being the Centre's agent -- an allegation he has repeated for every subsequent Lieutenant Governor.

Mr Jung, though, was emphatic in saying today that Mr Kejriwal deserves to be out of jail, since he has a settled life here and is "no flight risk".

At the same time, he declared that while in jail, Mr Kejriwal should step down from the top job, since it is not possible to do justice to it through weekly meetings.

Mr Kejriwal has got bail in the the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi liquor policy, but has been arrested since by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The CBI has contended that liquor companies were involved in framing of the Delhi excise policy of 2021-22 that was subsequently scrapped. The policy, which would have brought them a 12 per cent profit, was framed after receiving kickbacks from a liquor lobby it dubbed the "South Group". The Enforcement Directorate alleged the kickbacks were laundered.