Delhi High Court Reprimands AAP Government For Delaying CAG Report Handling

The Delhi High Court on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government for its handling of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, stating, "The way you have dragged your feet raises doubts about your bona fides."

Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over a single-judge bench, remarked that the government "dragged its feet" to prevent the assembly session from taking place.

"The way you have dragged your feet raises doubts about your bona fides. You should have promptly forwarded the reports to the Speaker and initiated a discussion in the House. The timeline is clear; you have dragged your feet to prevent the session from happening," the court noted.

In response, the Delhi government questioned how assembly sessions could be convened with elections approaching.

During the previous hearing, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat informed the court that tabling the CAG reports on city administration in the assembly would serve little purpose since the assembly's term ends in February.

This statement was made in connection to a petition filed by seven BJP MLAs, seeking the presentation of the reports in the assembly.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi government, the Speaker, and other relevant parties to respond to the BJP MLAs' plea for a special session to table 14 CAG reports.

The Delhi government stated that all 14 reports had been sent to the Speaker.

Vijender Gupta, representing the BJP MLAs, argued that as a member of the assembly, he was entitled to receive and discuss the reports. He urged the court to instruct the Speaker to call a special session. However, the court clarified that it could not issue an immediate directive to the Speaker and that a decision would require hearing both sides.

The Delhi government opposed the petition, describing it as politically motivated, and indicated plans to file a counter-affidavit. Gupta's lawyer contended that the matter was not political but concerned government accountability, adding that it should be addressed before the election announcements.