Dikshit seeks curbs on Delhi Lt. Governor’s powers

NEW DELHI - Stepping up the ante against Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday said she has asked the central government to nullify its 2002 order that provides unbridled power to the office.

The administrative order by the central home ministry during the then National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime said that the lieutenant governor was the “government” in Delhi.

Dikshit said that persistent “differences” over fixing of revised circle rates in Delhi brought to the fore difficulties in proper functioning of her government, prompting her to take a strong position on the issue.

“We have already spoken (to the central government). Yes, we have requested them,” she said in reply to a question on whether her government raised the issue with the central government.

“We have been speaking against it (the order) time and again. We also wrote many times that this is not correct. This should be withdrawn. It was not withdrawn. However, we have not always made the kind of demand that we made two days ago as the things were so far going on in a peaceful manner,” she said.

Dikshit had attacked Khanna Thursday during her reply to a resolution on granting full statehood to Delhi and accused him of interfering in her government’s functioning.

She said the government was forced to take a strong position because “great difference of opinion” came around and the file on the cabinet’s decision was “returned twice” on the basis of complaints by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

“We could have been called over. The LG has the right to call us over, to call me over, to call the minister over, sort out (differences) which we have done many a times.”

Asked if her government had sought removal of Khanna, she said there was no such demand.

“That is not our demand. I would like to clarify that this is not against any individual. This is against a system that has evolved which has landed us in this kind of differences,” Dikshit clarified.