AAP cabinet takes on Jung over probe panel

Delhi's Lt Governor Najeeb Jung was on Friday told to axe a panel he set up to probe some actions of the AAP government, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced.

Calling the Committee headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General V.K. Shunglu "unconstitutional", Sisodia said there was no provision in the Constitution for such a committee.

The Delhi Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, advised the Lt Governor to dissolve the three-member committee set up to review over 400 files of the Aam Aadmi Party government, Sisodia said.

Jung set up the panel to study alleged irregularities of the AAP government following an August 4 Delhi High Court ruling giving primacy to the Lt Governor in Delhi's administration.

"The Cabinet noted that there is no provision in the Constitution, or in any statute or rule, whatsoever, which empowers setting up of an external committee to enquire into the ongoing projects of public welfare, question officers and threaten to recommend criminal and administrative action against them," said a statement issued by the government.

The other members of the panel are former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar.

They were also asked to recommend the course of action to be taken on each of the files including whether the decisions can or cannot be regularised by the Lt Governor.

--IANS

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