We want to help Delhi government, says Jung after HC judgement

Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday said the High Court judgement confirming his primacy over the Delhi government was not about anyone's triumph or defeat.

"It's just about the validation of the Constitution by the court, and not about anyone's victory," Jung told media here.

Referring to the timing of the press conference, he said that it was a historic verdict and he though it to be appropriate to talk to the media.

Noting when people asked him why he was not interacting with media, he said he used to cite a famous Urdu couplet by freedom fighter Ram Prasad 'Bismil': "Waqt aane par bata denge tujhe ae aasman, hum abhi se kya bataye kya hamare dil me hai" but "today, I think is the time to clear many things as today's verdict is so important that it can be referred as historical".

Denying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's allegation that the Lt Governor's Office was working against it, Jung said: "We want to help the elected government without interfering in its functioning. We will continue to extend constitutional support to the government."

Citing the oath he took when sworn in, he said: "The Lt. Governor takes the oath to follow the Constitution of India. I followed it too."

He also said his office would review all decisions and orders taken by the Delhi government in the last one and half years.

As for Delhi government's charge that he (Jung) worked at the behest of the central government, the Lt. Governor said he was "not ashamed" of reporting to the central government.

"I was appointed by the President (of India); I report to the central government. Why should I be ashamed of it? But we will have to confine ourselves within the constitutional framework," he said.

Asked about the remarks of the Kejriwal government over his decisions in past, Jung said: "I don't get affected by abusive language."

The Delhi High Court on Thursday said the Lt. Governor is not bound by the aid and advice of Delhi's Council of Ministers and that Delhi government notifications must be issued after consulting the Lt Governor.

Meanwhile, Jung said that an order by a sub-divisional magistrate to ban protests outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here was invalid.

"The SDM has no authority to give such orders," he said.

--IANS

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