Maliwal says LG's appointment of DCW member secretary illegal

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday came in for criticism from Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal for appointing Dilraj Kaur as Member Secretary of the commission.

"The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi appointed a member secretary in the commission, who is the Secretary of Women and Child Development. Everyday, the commission is issuing notice to her to know what is the condition of Nari Niketan, old age homes, rehabilitation home etc. Instead of ensuring, that her work is proper, the LG, very conveniently, has posted her as Member Secretary in the commission, creating a direct conflict of interest," Maliwal told ANI.

Jung appointed Dilraj Kaur as commission's Member Secretary while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recommended the name of P. P. Dhal for the post.

"The chief minister intervened and directed this lady not to join and directed another man to join as Member Secretary in DCW. Now a tussle has been created because both the chief minister's appointee and the LG's appointee have been given joining letters. We have rejected the LG appointee because it is unconstitutional and illegal. We will follow the direction of chief minister," Maliwal said.

Maliwal further said, "I want the entire logjam to end soon because the fact is the commission is on the verge of closure because the staff has not been paid salary for last three months. This logjam is being created by the LG in order to ensure that all the staff go away, the entire program of the commission is getting scuttled."

She added, "It has been four years since the brutal gangrape of Nirbhaya. Neither has Nirbhaya been given justice, nor all these women and girls, who are being raped every day, are being given justice. The Delhi Commission for Women is fighting for their rights and trying to help them out but there is a complete attempt to silence us.