NOB-New Delhi: Modi has been in the center for almost ten years. Kejriwal is in power in Delhi. During this period, many people bowed to Modi. But Kejri was hit hard. He not only spread his Aam Aadmi Party to states like Punjab, Gujarat and Goa and rose to the level of a national party, but also became a thorn in the side of the BJP by drying up Modi’s policies. It is noteworthy that except for the main opposition Congress, it is Kejriwal who has stood against Modi at this level. With his recent arrest in the Delhi liquor scam, the feud between the two parties seems to have reached a flag level. Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP won at the center in the 2014 elections. A few months later, in the 2015 elections, Kejriwal won 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi. Before this, he served as CM for a short period in 2013. Later, he contested against Modi in the Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi and was in the news. In 2019, Modi won again, while in 2020, Kejri won the assembly elections. Over the years, their conflict has been increasing due to differences in government programs and political opinions. AAP accuses BJP of trying to buy each MLA for Rs. 25 crore, of conspiring to split the party, of trying to topple the government by sending Kejri to jail, while BJP points out the corruption of AAP and Kejri.
The notification issued by the Union Home Department in 2015 giving authority to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in matters of transfers of officers, police and land is said to be the first clash between the Center and the AAP government. This led to a long battle in the High Court and the Supreme Court. On May 11th 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Delhi government on the transfer and posting of senior officials. Within those few days, the Center brought an ordinance maintaining the balance of power between the LG-Government. Last August 2023, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Government (Amendment) Act saw the Center vesting powers in the LG.
The AAP government has not been happy with the Lieutenant Governors (LGs) appointed by the Central Government from the beginning. During Najeeb Jung’s tenure as LG, AAP strongly protested the appointment of Chief Secretary, control over anti-corruption department, transfer of senior officers, postings and signatures on files. With this, a committee was formed with three members including former CAG Shunglu to examine 400 files. If Jung was thought to be gone, Kejri’s government still had to contend with Anil Baijal, who replaced him. Due to Baijal, Kejri along with ministers staged a dharna in front of Raj Niwas saying that the authorities were not listening to them. There is an atmosphere of conflict between the Baijal and AAP government on many issues like the appointment of special public prosecutors on the anti-CAA riots and the expenditure of government funds. VK Saxena who came as LG in May 2022 turned the whole thing around. Within 2 months of taking charge, CBI was ordered to investigate the irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy. Later, the ED came into the field of money laundering and arrested AAP Minister Manish Sisodia and MP Sanjay Singh. Kejri has been repeatedly summoned in the liquor scam as well as in the Delhi Water Board case. Kejriwal was finally arrested on 21.03.2024.
