"Way you dragged your feet raises doubts": Delhi HC questions Delhi govt over delay in action on CAG reports
Jan 13, 2025
New Delhi [India], January 13 : The Delhi High Court on Monday criticised the Delhi Government for its delay in addressing the CAG reports, stating, "The way you have dragged your feet raises doubts about your bona fides."
The court further emphasized, "You should have promptly forwarded the reports to the Speaker and initiated a discussion in the House."
The bench of Justice Sachin Datta questioned the Delhi Government's handling of the CAG reports.
"The timeline is clear; you've dragged your feet to prevent the session from happening." The court further remarked.
"The delay in sending the reports to the LG and your handling of the matter raises doubts about your bona fides," it added.
The court pointed out that the Delhi Government should have acted promptly in forwarding the reports to the Speaker. In response, the Delhi Government questioned how sessions could be held with elections approaching.
The High Court will hear the matter in detail today itself after lunch.
In the matter on the last date of hearing, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat informed the Court that tabling the CAG reports on city administration in the Assembly would serve no useful purpose, given that its tenure ends in February. The submission was made in response to a petition by seven BJP MLAs regarding the issue of tabling the CAG reports in the Assembly.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court sought responses from the Delhi Government, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and other respondents regarding a petition filed by BJP MLAs. The petition called for the convening of a special session of the Assembly to present 14 CAG reports.
The Delhi Government informed the Court that all 14 reports had been sent to the Speaker.
Vijender Gupta, the counsel for the BJP MLAs, argued that as a member of the House, it was his right to receive and debate the reports. He urged the Court to direct the Speaker to convene a special session. However, the Court observed that it could not issue an immediate order to the Speaker and stated that both parties would need to be heard before a decision could be made.
The Delhi Government opposed the petition, labelling it politically motivated and indicated its intention to file a counter-affidavit. Gupta's counsel countered that the issue was not political but rather about ensuring government accountability, stressing that the matter should be resolved before the election announcements.
