Delhi ministers refused to attend meet with me, says LG; govt hits back

NEW DELHI: The secretariat of the lieutenant governor (LG) has written to ministry of home affairs, saying that

Delhi ministers

had refused to attend two meetings called by the LG to discuss issues of "

public importance

" on "specious" grounds that the model code of conduct was in force and, hence, a meeting would not be appropriate now.
The LG's secretariat said that several important matters such as public health infrastructure and the summer action plan for water availability were "playing out in the public domain", which prompted VK Saxena to call the meeting of key ministers dealing with water, education, health, transport and environment and forest departments.

"An intimation was accordingly sent to Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bhardwaj for a meeting by LG on April 2. However, all the ministers have, vide e-mails, declined to attend the said meeting on the specious ground that since the model code of conduct is in force, such a meeting would not be appropriate at this stage," the letter to the Union home secretary by LG's principal secretary read.
An official said the ministers skipped a similar meeting on March 29.

The LG's office wrote that Saxena believed consultation of this nature was needed for routine governance after the chief minister's arrest.
"Curiously, the ministers chose to disregard the public importance of subjects under discussion. The rationale adduced for not attending the meeting appears vague and exhibits lack of seriousness and insensitivity to matters affecting day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi," the letter said.

This was the second communication by the LG's secretariat to MHA after Kejriwal's arrest.
Officials said in response to the LG's communication for a meeting on March 29, Bharadwaj sought the meeting's agenda and sent back a text, saying the meeting cannot be called without the chief minister's directions.
A Raj Niwas official said the meeting was reconvened on April 2 after sharing the agenda but the ministers refused again, despite going public with a supposed letter from the CM, who asked ministers to "take advice of the LG if necessary".
Raj Niwas officials said the communication assumes significance as Bharadwaj, on April 4 wrote highlighting severe shortage of basic medical supplies in two state-run hospitals. The LG sent a missive to Bharadwaj, saying he had disregarded efforts to discuss healthcare issues.