No precipitative action be taken on Shunglu report: AAP govt to SC

Shunglu Committee was formed by L-G on Aug 30 to examine over 400 files on decisions taken by AAP regime

The Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday told the Supreme Court that no "precipitative action" should be taken on the Shunglu committee report till the apex court adjudicates the Delhi-Centre row.

A Bench of Justices AK Sikri and AM Sapre said the aspect of Shunglu committee will be taken up on December 5 when a detailed hearing of the matter will take place.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for Delhi government, said that Shunglu committee has filed its report to the Lieutenant Governor and there are various apprehensions about the report.

"A stay should be granted on the Shunglu committee report that no precipitative action be taken on it," he said.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Centre, said the report was filed on Sunday and no one knows what is there in it.

The Bench, however, said all issues will be taken up on December 5.

The Shunglu Committee, which submitted its report on Sunday, was formed by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on August 30 to examine over 400 files on decisions taken by AAP regime.

The committee was chaired by former CAG VK Shunglu with ex-chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami and ex-chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar as its members.

An apex court judge had on November 15 recused from hearing Delhi government's appeals against the High Court verdict which had held that the L-G was the administrative head whose prior consent is needed in all administrative decisions.

The apex court had said that all interim applications will be taken up together.

On September 9, it had refused to grant an interim stay on the Delhi High Court's August 4 verdict and sought response within six weeks from the Centre on seven appeals of AAP dispensation.

It had also declined to stay the decision of L-G Jung to set up a three-member committee to scrutinise over 400 files and past orders of the elected city government.

On September 2, the Delhi government had informed Supreme Court that it had filed seven different pleas challenging the HC order and withdrawn its civil suit seeking declaration of the national capital as a full State.

In October, the Delhi Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had passed a resolution advising the L-G to dissolve the committee arguing that "impounding" of the files is "creating hurdles" in the works of government.

The L-G had given the committee a six-week extension and rejected city government's request to dissolve the panel, saying the "truth hidden behind these files" must come out.

The committee's tenure was to end on December 2. It was examining any "irregularities" and "infirmities" in the files of the Delhi government.

In its verdict, the Delhi High Court had rejected several pleas challenging the L-G's authority after which he had ordered examining of the files.