AAP vs Chief Secretary: CM Kejriwal should reach out to officials, L-G says in response to Sisodia letter

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has replied to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s letter, maintaining that there was “no strike by any section of bureaucracy”. He also urged CM Arvind Kejriwal to “reach out directly to the employees” as “greater responsibility” remained with him since the alleged attack on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash took place at his residence.

Noting that the alleged attack, which took place last Monday “sent shock waves through all sections of government employees in not only Delhi but also in the entire country”, the L-G said that he met a number of service associations after meeting the CM and his ministers on February 24.

Responding to allegations of “ill treatment”, he urged the need for the CM to provide leadership and said, “If their faith in his ability to provide them with a safe and dignified work environment is not restored, it can spell havoc for governance and rule of law.”

Rubbishing the claim that there was an ongoing strike, Baijal said, “As far as (the L-G) knew, there had not been any strike by any section of bureaucracy…”

The L-G office, in a statement, said, “He also noted that in his long career in government, he does not recall there being so much of rift between the elected government and the bureaucracy, despite Delhi having seen governments of different hues.”