Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s New Year greetings to Chief Minister Atishi, heavy in its criticism of her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal, has drawn a stinging response. In a two-page letter, the Chief Minister, among other things, expressed hope that in the New Year, Mr Saxena would “let go of the baggage of politics” and work towards the welfare of the people of Delhi.
The 10-point “concerns” she raised, hit out at Mr Saxena over his “criticism rather than constructive cooperation”, “unnecessary interventions that slowed down critical work” and actions taken to stop the Mahila Samman Yojana and accused his office of becoming a “proxy of the BJP”.
The Lieutenant Governor, she alleged, has failed to keep the city safe – “the one job that you are directly responsible for and mandated to do”.
“While an ex-Member of Parliament has been busy distributing money to lure voters right under your nose from his illegally occupied bungalow, your response of giving him police protection to conduct this illegal activity will go down in history as a benchmark of irresponsible and illegal behaviour,” her letter read.
“While kids and women are being kidnapped and assaulted on a daily basis in Delhi, you have been occupied by pointless mudslinging and issuing instructions to the police to conduct raids and inquiries on our leaders on a daily basis,” she added.
“Your actions have irreparably damaged the respect that people held for the office of the Lieutenant Governor and have tarnished the legacy left behind by your predecessors,” added the Chief Minister.
The Lieutenant Governor – who said he was writing in a personal capacity — had opened his letter to the Chief Minister with much praise, commending her efficiency and initiative.
“This is the first time in my two-and-a-half-year tenure that I am seeing a Chief Minister discharge the duties of a Chief Minister. Your predecessor did not handle a single government department and never signed a file. In contrast, you are handling many departments and trying to tackle many governance issues,” he wrote.
The Lieutenant Governor also expanded on his criticism of Mr Kejriwal, pointing to his description of Atishi a “temporary Chief Minister”.
“There is no such post in the Constitution and it is a reprehensible neglect to the concept of democracy in the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he wrote, underscoring that it was an insult to the President of India who appointed her and himself, who administered the oath to her.
The Delhi government, Atishi wrote, is “deeply rooted in the vision and legacy” of her predecessor.
“Be it the educational reforms, healthcare revolution, or infrastructural advancements, his model of governance has become a benchmark not just in Delhi but across India. The progress we are making today is a continuation of this legacy, and we remain committed to fulfilling this vision… The people of Delhi have repeatedly shown their faith in this government and in Shri Arvind Kejriwal,” she wrote.