Delhi government starts withdrawing cases filed by Aam Aadmi Party against Centre, Lieutenant Governor
The BJP-led Delhi government has started withdrawing cases filed by the previous AAP regime against the Centre and the Lt Governor over matters of governance and administrative powers, official sources said on Wednesday.
In the interest of constitutional harmony involving the Delhi government, Centre and the LG office, it has been decided to withdraw all such cases by filing appropriate applications before the courts concerned, the sources said.
The cases withdrawn by the BJP government include a special leave petition filed by the previous government in the Supreme Court, challenging a high court order for the implementation of PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) scheme in Delhi.
The new government withdrew the petition, saying it was going ahead with the implementation of the PM-ABHIM scheme in Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that ran the Delhi government in the last one decade since 2015 indulged in a relentless battle with the BJP-led Centre and the office of the Lt Government. Several court cases were filed by it against the Centre, challenging its authority in matters related to Delhi.
Despite the Supreme Court in its order in July 2018 upholding the constitutional status of Delhi as a Union Territory, litigation continued over administrative control on services matters involving transfer-posting of bureaucrats of the Delhi government, law enforcement and powers of the office of LG.
According to a list prepared by the law department, the cases being withdrawn include those filed by the previous AAP government challenging amendment in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991 by the Centre to empower the Lt Governor with authority over Services matters.
Another such case is the formation of LG-headed high-powered committees by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the Yamuna cleaning and removal of garbage mountains dumped at three landfills in the city.
As the AAP dispensation was engaged in a power tussle, cases were filed by it even against secretaries and heads of several departments.
The sources said all such cases were going to be withdrawn with the permission of the courts concerned. The government counsels will also likely file early hearing pleas so that these could be withdrawn to stop wastage of time and resources, they said.
Such cases also created uncertainty and delayed service delivery and implementation of government’s projects and programmes, they said.
