Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has accused the PM Narendra Modi-led Central government of conspiring against the AAP government in the national capital after it alleged that Centre put on hold its budget. Bhardwaj said that this was bigger than treason. He added that the Centre raised concern over the document but it sent it to Chief Secretary instead of the Finance Minister and the Chief Minister.
He accused the Chief Secy of keeping the information secret and coming out when the news flashed on Monday that the Delhi budget has been put on hold by the Centre.
Addressing the press on the matter, the newly inducted minister said that the AAP government sent the budget document for Centre's approval on March 10. He added that the Centre raised some doubts and sent the document back on March 17, but not to the Finance Minister or the Chief Minister, but to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.
Bhardwaj claimed that Chief Secy has been accused of halting the Delhi government's work on several occasions. And, he added, the Chief secretary and the finance secretary kept the development secret. Bhardwaj added that there is no holiday when the Budget is prepared be it Saturday or Sunday.
He said, "Despite this, both secretaries hid the fact that Centre has sent back the document with some doubts." The minister further said, "Yesterday when the headlines flashed that the budget was put on hold, the Chief Secretary came to Finance Minister and informed about the queries. The FM and CM prepared the answers and submitted the document to the LG in three hours."
He said what could have been done in three hours was kept on hold for three days. He alleged that Centre was conspiring against the 2 crore people of Delhi. He asked what would leaders coming for G20 thought that Centre was after a city in the country.
On sending the Delhi budget to Centre, Bhardwaj claimed that this was not a constitutional arrangement and that the budget of a state, which is sacrosanct and private, should be sent to officials of the Central government.
"Will the Babus of Centre tell an elected assembly what to include in Budget," Bhardwaj asked. He also asked if the Centre will dismiss the Chief secretary and the finance secretary from their respective service and if the LG will issue an order in the same regard.
The Delhi MLA said that a sanitation worker, a teacher and workers of the national capital government would be thinking that the Centre has stopped their salaries.
This comes after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that the presentation of the Delhi government's budget before the Assembly has been postponed by the Centre.
The AAP shared a video of Kejriwal appearing on a News 18 show on Monday, during which he stated that the Delhi budget will not be introduced on Tuesday.
He said that the Centre was engaging in "gundagardi," and that for the first time in the country's history, a government's budget had been halted.