Officers posted in Delhi govt allege harassment; AAP says 'absolutely fake'

The Delhi government on Sunday accused Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of indulging in "dirty politics" while asserting that the complaints filed by some officers alleging harassment by the AAP dispensation are "absolutely fake".

Officials in the LG Office on Saturday claimed that eight officers posted in the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have alleged "blatant harassment" by the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation.

They said two complaints were received earlier this year and six were received after May 11 -- the day the Supreme Court granted control of services, except police, land and public order, to the elected government in Delhi.

In a statement, the Delhi government said, "They are absolutely fake complaints. The LG is indulging in dirty politics to divert attention from the public uproar against the Central government's direct attack on the judiciary by reversing a Supreme Court constitution bench order through an ordinance."

Five IAS officers are among those who have complained against the AAP government. These are Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, former Services secretary Ashish More, Special Secretaries Kinny Singh and Y V V J Rajasekhar, and Power Secretary Shurbir Singh, according to the LG Office officials.

Anti-Corruption Branch head Madhur Verma, Chief Assessor and Collector in MCD's House Tax Department Kunal Kashyap, and Services Department Deputy Secretary Amitabh Joshi are also among the complainants.

There has been a growing discord between bureaucrats and the AAP dispensation in Delhi since the May 11 Supreme Court order.

Hours after the apex court order, Ashish More was removed as the Services secretary.

Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had also alleged on Friday that Chief Secretary Kumar had issued a death threat to him on May 16.

Kumar, however, claimed in a letter to the LG that the allegations were an after-thought of Bharadwaj to save himself following his alleged misconduct with the officers of the Services Department.