'LG Saxena Indulging In Dirty Politics': Delhi Govt After 8 Of His Staff Allege Harassment By AAP

Anti-Corruption Branch head Madhur Verma, Chief Assessor and Collector in MCD's House Tax Department Kunal Kashyap, and Services Department Deputy Secretary Amitabh Joshi are among the complainants.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing tussle between the AAP-led government in the national capital and LG Vinay Saxena, the Delhi government on Sunday accused LG Saxena of playing "dirty politics" and dismissed the complaints filed by some officers alleging harassment by the AAP dispensation as "absolutely fake," reported news agency PTI.

This comes days after PM Narendra Modi-led Central government brought an ordinance to give the control of 'services' back to LG days after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the AAP government in the national capital. 

According to PTI, officials in the LG Office claimed that eight officers posted in the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have alleged "blatant harassment" by the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation.

They said two complaints were received earlier this year and six were received after May 11 -- the day the Supreme Court granted control of services, except police, land and public order, to the elected government in Delhi.

The Delhi government in a statement said, "They are absolutely fake complaints. The LG is indulging in dirty politics to divert attention from the public uproar against the Central government's direct attack on the judiciary by reversing a Supreme Court constitution bench order through an ordinance."

Five IAS officers, including Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, former Services Secretary Ashish More, Special Secretaries Kinny Singh and Y V V J Rajasekhar, and Power Secretary Shurbir Singh, have filed complaints against the AAP government, according to the LG Office officials.

Anti-Corruption Branch head Madhur Verma, Chief Assessor and Collector in MCD's House Tax Department Kunal Kashyap, and Services Department Deputy Secretary Amitabh Joshi are also among the complainants.

There has been a growing discord between bureaucrats and the AAP dispensation in Delhi since the May 11 Supreme Court order.

Hours after the apex court order, Ashish More was removed as the Services secretary.

On Friday, Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also accused Chief Secretary Kumar of issuing a death threat to him on May 16. In response, Kumar claimed in a letter to the LG that Bharadwaj's allegations were an afterthought to save himself following his alleged misconduct with the officers of the Services Department.