Central government blames Delhi government for leaking Manish Sisodia affidavit to press; Supreme Court puts freeze on further pleadings

The BJP-led Central government Friday blamed the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government for leaking the affidavit filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to the press, before it was filed in the Supreme Court. .The Central government counsel told the top court that the affidavit was shared with the media even before it was filed. "This is a very incorrect practice. This affidavit shows a political propaganda and was shared with press earlier than being filed," the lawyer said..However, Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Delhi government, refuted the allegation. "I have not given a single copy to the press. We know how press gets a copy," he said.The exchange happened after Singhvi mentioned the matter and highlighted paralysis in administration in the national capital due to non-cooperation by bureaucrats with the AAP government.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said that it will not allow any further filings in the case."We will not ask for a reply now otherwise people will start filing affidavits till last date....We will freeze the pleadings now and let the constitution bench take up the matter now. The opposite side need not file a reply to the affidavit as of now," the Court said. .The dispute between the Central and Delhi governments is regarding which government has administrative control over the transfers and postings of officers in Delhi.The case is slated to be heard by a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court after a 3-judge bench had in May this year decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central government..Sisodia had filed an affidavit alleging that bureaucrats in Delhi are not cooperating with the Aam Aadmi party government (AAP government), thereby, paralysing the implementation of policies and projects of the elected government in the national capital..Sisodia said that bureaucrats have stopped attending meetings called by AAP ministers and have stopped answering phone calls by ministers and these issues have become more acute with the appointment of the current Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena."Officials have stopped taking calls of ministers...Officials are disobeying orders/ directions of ministers including orders/ directions that are in writing," the affidavit stated.This, Sisodia claimed, is a direct consequence of an notification issued by the Central government on May 21, 2021 due to which civil servants are not answerable to the elected government of Delhi but to the Central government currently ruled by BJP."The power to assign posts, effect transfers within the Government of NCT of Delhi, and discipline civil servants is exercised by the Central government/ Lieutenant Governor. Given this regime introduced by the impugned notification, it is not surprising that civil servants serving in Government of NCT of Delhi have become indifferent to the elected government," the affidavit said.It added that any cooperation between the civil servants and the elected government is being penalized and recalcitrance towards the elected government is being encouraged.