Delhi BJP Govt Withdraws Cases Against LG VK Saxena, Bureaucrats Filed During AAP Regime

The current BJP-led government in Delhi has begun withdrawing cases that were filed by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration against the Lieutenant Governor (LG), various government departments, and bureaucrats, according to reports.

Sources indicate that this decision has been made to avoid conflicts with the central government and the LG while managing the administration.

Photo Credit: PTI

Reports suggest that the Department of Law, Justice, and Legislative Affairs, following instructions from Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has directed senior bureaucrats to begin withdrawing cases initiated by ministers in the previous government.

It is reported that the process is already underway, with a lawyer in the Supreme Court being asked to provide no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the withdrawal of one such case.

"We have decided to withdraw all cases that were filed in a politically charged atmosphere against the LG and the Centre," a senior source in the newly formed administration told ThePrint.

"We will accelerate the withdrawal process and will not wait for scheduled court dates, as these cases are consuming our time and resources unnecessarily."

Ongoing Legal Disputes

The former AAP government in Delhi had filed multiple court cases against the LG, including disputes related to the Yamuna panel and Delhi Jal Board funding.

One of the most significant pending cases is the petition challenging the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023, which established a new statutory authority to oversee the transfer and posting of bureaucrats in the capital.

AAP had also clashed with the LG over the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson. The dispute gained further attention when AAP accused the BJP of attempting to end Delhi's power subsidy scheme through its influence over the regulatory body.

Meanwhile, legal troubles for AAP chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appear to be mounting. On Tuesday, the Rouse Avenue Court directed Delhi Police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against him and others in connection with the defacement of public property in Dwarka in 2019.

Kejriwal had previously been granted bail by the Supreme Court in September last year after spending five months in jail in relation to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.