File photo: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
The government of Arvind Kejriwal has lost its appeal for the head of Delhi's anti-corruption agency to be prevented from entering his office. The Delhi High Court today said that MK Meena, a senior police officer, will remain chief of the capital's Anti-Corruption Bureau or ACB, a post to which he was appointed two weeks ago.
Mr Meena was selected by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, rendering him unacceptable to the Delhi government headed by Mr Kejriwal, which has gone to court arguing that as the centre's representative in Delhi, Mr Jung does not have the right to appoint bureaucrats. The High Court is hearing that petition.
When Mr Kejriwal won the Delhi election with a record mandate, he picked SS Yadav to lead Delhi's Anti-Corruption Bureau and investigate complaints of graft among government officers.
Then, earlier this month, the Lieutenant Governor said that post belongs to Mr Meena, who outranks Mr Yadav.
In retaliation, the government said Mr Meena would not be allowed to enter his office, and accused him of going soft on corruption.
Mr Meena was also accused by the Delhi government's candidate, Mr Yadav, of threatening his life. Today, the High Court said that Mr Yadav will report to Mr Meena in the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Since his election, Mr Kejriwal has accused the Centre of using the Lieutenant Governor to run Delhi by proxy. The Chief Minister says this is evidenced by the Centre issuing a notification that said Mr Jung alone has the right to decide the offices of bureaucrats. Incorrect, said the Delhi High Court, offering suggestions in an earlier hearing that appeared to agree with Mr Kejriwal's argument that as the elected head of Delhi, he must have the right to decide his team.
The turf war over bureaucrats has earlier seen a top IAS officer locked out of his office in the Delhi government's headquarters or secretariat.