BJP exercising unconstitutional control over Delhi government officers through Centre: Deputy CM Sisodia
Jan 12, 2023
New Delhi [India], January 12 Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday alleged that the BJP has "unconstitutional control" over the officers of the Delhi Government through the Centre.
He termed a recovery notice of the Delhi government's Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) to Arvind Kejriwal, an example of "unconstitutional control."
The DIP has on Wednesday served the recovery notice on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) giving it a total of 10 days to deposit Rs 164 crore for its political advertisements published allegedly in the form of government advertisements in the year 2016-17.
The DIP said that the AAP had violated the guidelines on political advertisements issued by the Supreme Court and cost the State exchequer.
Sisodia said that according to the notice, Rs 163 crores will be recovered from Arvind Kejriwal for the advertisements given by the AAP government outside Delhi in 2016-17.
According to the notice, "If the amount is not given in 10 days, legal action will be taken," Sisodia said, claiming that it was not the "language of the officer, it is the language of the BJP."
The people of Delhi have elected Kejriwal with a huge majority but "the BJP is making the officers target Kejriwal and AAP leaders," the deputy CM said.
"The BJP is occupying the service department for this misuse," he further alleged.
"Delhi newspapers are full of advertisements of CMs of BJP and Congress. Will the BJP get the information secretaries to send notices to the CMs there?, he asked.
There cannot be a bigger example of illegitimate control over officers. It is wrong to target the elected government by misusing the officers. All governments are giving advertisements, Sisodia said.
He said they have sought information regarding what is wrong with the AAP advertisements.
"BJP's ads from other states are in Delhi, so we want to see what wrong ads we have given. We have written a letter to the information secretary, he added.
