Sisodia accuses BJP of coup, Kejriwal seeks meeting with president

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday alleged that the BJP was trying to stage a coup in Delhi through Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung as the tussle between the government and Jung took another turn with senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin taking charge as interim chief secretary.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, said he was seeking an appointment with President Pranab Mukherjee.

"Seeking an appointment with the president to apprise him of Delhi's situation," Kejiwal tweeted.

An official, who did not want to be named, said Gamlin took additional charge as Delhi's chief secretary. "Yes, she has taken charge... She is working in her office and is clearing files," the official told IANS.

Jung on Friday gave Gamlin, who was functioning as principal secretary (services), additional charge of chief secretary of Delhi since the incumbent, K.K. Sharma is in the US for personal work.

The AAP government on Friday accused Jung of "by-passing" the elected government, the chief minister and the deputy chief minister.

Jung, however, asserted that he was "competent" to make the appointment and had expressed regret "that name of senior officer was being brought in public domain in such a manner, that too a lady officer and one belonging to the northeast".

Sisodia alleged through a series of tweets on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party had sought to stage a coup against the government through the Lt governor.

"In Delhi yesterday (Friday) the BJP made an attempt to overthrow the government through the the LG," he said.

"Through the LG, a government elected with historic mandate, the chief minister, the deputy chief minister had been sidelined and effort has been made to run the administration directly," he said.

Sisodia alleged that Jung had sought to take control of the Delhi government in utter violation of the constitution.

He said the constitution says the Lt governor will talk to the concerned minister in case of differences on an issue and, if not satisfied, will write to the cabinet.

"If the issue is not resolved, he will write to the president. Whatever directions come from the president, he will tell it to the minister and not to an officer directly. The LG does not have right to bypass a minister and give orders to an officer directly."

BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli, however, rejected the AAP allegations and termed them as "baseless."

"If there is a constitutional crisis created by the chief minister, it is mandatory for the Lt governor to resolve it," he said.