Round The States
New
Delhi, 21 May 2015
Kejriwal
Vs Jung
CENTRE-STATE
TIES RUFFLED
By Insaf
Delhi Chief Minister’s Arvind
Kejriwal’s fight with Prime Minister Modi, albeit via Lt Governor Najeeb Jung
has opened the pandora’s box on Centre-State relations. It all started with
Shakuntla Gamlin being appointed acting Chief Secretary by Jung following the
Chief Secretary going on 10 days leave,
which triggered a political tsunami. An angry Kejriwal rescinded the order by
shooting off a letter to Jung that he had no business to appoint any officer as
he was usurping the powers of an elected government. Jung retaliated by rolling
back the AAP government’s orders on officials. Resulting in a first rate
constitutional crisis with lawyers split down the middle between Jung and
Kejriwal. Chief Ministers too have jumped into the fray, in support of
Kejriwal. Bihar’s Nitish Kumar queried what kind of a government it would be if
it doesn’t have a say in selection of officers, former J&K Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah too rooted by underscoring that Kejriwal had every right to
choose his own team, added CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury for good
measure the Centre is trying to encroach on the rights of a State government.
In this entire high drama, Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley too further ignited temperatures by asserting that AAP
was a costly experiment as governance was not its agenda. Both sides then took
the issue to President Mukherjee’s court, who told them to amicably resolve the
matter. Further, even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh has washed his hands off
this murky affair and referred the matter to the Attorney General, Kejriwal has
sent a stinker to Modi, accusing the PMO of running the Delhi government through the LG. “Let Delhi
government function independently,” he demanded. While the Centre is backing
Jung, kejriwal and team are contemplating knocking on the door of the Supreme
Court. Who will break this Constitutional impasse, is obviously the big
question.
* * * *
Bureaucrats
Upset
Meanwhile, another unseemly fallout
of the Kejriwal-Jung tug-of-war is that the bureaucracy too is divided down the
middle. The acting CS, who belongs to Assam, has found her North-Eastern
colleagues rooting for her efficiency and honesty even as they decry Kejriwal
for alleging her closeness to private power companies. They deem it as an
insult to the North-East. Not only Gamlin, Kejriwal had also sealed the office
of the Principal Secretary administration Anindo Majumdar after stripping him
of his post. Resulting in another section the Bengali bureaucrats refusing to
work in the Delhi Government. This apart, the IAS Officers’ Association on
Wednesday last is learnt to have passed a resolution against the
‘ill-treatment’ of its members by the AAP government, and said the “humiliation
would not be tolerated”. Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia has thus been at pains
to undo the damage and held a long meeting with senior officials to pacify
tempers. It won’t be easy, the simmering may grow louder and wider.
* * * *
Bihar Poll
Timing
Strangely, all political parties
have upped the ante against the Election Commission’s proposal to hold the
State Assembly in September–October for a variety of reason to ensure they come
out trumps in the polls. The ruling JD(U) would like to differ the polls on
three counts: one, large parts of north Bihar would be battling the yearly
floods in September; two, October is the beginning of Hindu festivities such as
Durga puja and Dussehra and three most important Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
would like the amalgamation of the skewed Janata Parivar to return to the
original Janata Party pre-elections. He is worried after Samajwadi’s leader in
Rajya Sabha and Mulayam Singh’s confidante Ram Gopal Verma has asserted that
the merger would only be post the State polls. It’s another matter this is
music to BJP’s ears, as reports from the State do not hold out good prospects
for the party. On its part, the hindutava brigade would like the elections to
be preponed to July-August, which would shorten the time for merger talks.
Trust, RJD’s Laloo Yadav to bluster his way through by averring he was ready
for polls anytime. Will the EC oblige given that the State Assembly has to be
in place before November 24 and in the backdrop that it went ahead with polls
in Kashmir despite it being devastated by
floods?
* * * *
Maharashtra
Vs Mongolia
Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena is at it
again—playing hardball with partner BJP. Thus, not surprising it hit out at
none other than Prime Minister Modi questioning his decision to extend $1
billion credit to Mongolia
on his recent visit there, while completely ignoring the plight of the State’s
farmers! In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘saamana’,
the party stated: “Maharashtra farmers are
caught in a debt trap. Thrashed by unseasonal rains and hailstorm, they are
eagerly awaiting a financial package from the Centre. The people of Mongolia are
more fortunate...” Recall earlier this month, the Sena had taken on Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the farmers’ suicide issue and questioned his
claim of repeatedly asking the Centre to help tide over the crisis. The Union
Agriculture Minister noted Saamana has stated that no such request has been
made. While it’s obvious the BJP would be pink with embarrassment, with its
ally singing a different tune, Modi would need to do some fire fighting. He can
ill-afford an NDA partner speaking the same language of the Opposition.
* * * *
Passport
Issue In Kashmir
Likewise, developments in Jammu and Kashmir may
make the BJP see red. Partner PDP is putting the pressure on the Centre to
grant a passport to separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, dismissing the
BJP’s objections. Geelani has applied for a passport to visit his ailing
daughter in Saudi Arabia
and the PDP says that it should be granted on “humanitarian grounds.” The issue
has now put the ball in the Home Ministry’s court. Minister of State Kiren
Rijiju has said that much too much is being made of it and that a passport is
the right of every Indian citizen and it will process the application on merit
when the matter is referred to it. Well, it shouldn’t take long as Geelani was
given a passport earlier. However, with the new regime at the Centre known for
its rather tough stance against the Hurriyat leaders, the question of Geelani
getting a passport would be a hot topic in the Valley. The Home Ministry would
need to tread cautiously because the reason cited by Geelani may well put in on
the wrong foot in case of a refusal without merit. Besides, PDP is watching.
---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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