A 1969-batch IAS officer, Baijal was the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority. He also served as the home secretary under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government
File image of Anil Baijal. News18
Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal submitted his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday.
As per News18, Baijal, who served as the Centre’s representative in Delhi, cited ‘personal reasons’ as the reason for stepping down.
A 1969-batch IAS officer, Baijal was the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority. He also served as the home secretary under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
The resignation of Baijal, who became Delhi L-G in December 2016 after the abrupt resignation of his predecessor Najeeb Jung, closes a chapter of a long-simmering feud with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over several governance-related issues.
Let’s take a closer look at Baijal’s many clashes with Kejriwal and his AAP government:
Tussle over ‘Oxygen deaths’ panel
As the National Capital reeled under a brutal second wave of COVID which claimed several lives, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in August 2021 said the Delhi government had repeatedly sent the file on the formation of a high-level committee to probe oxygen-related deaths in the city to Baijal.
Sisodia had earlier said Baijal had not given approval for the formation of the committee to probe oxygen-related deaths and award compensation of Rs 5 lakh to families of those who died due to oxygen shortage.
Sources close to Mr Baijal’s office, however, denied opposing any probe into the matter to NDTV.
Loggerheads over doorstep delivery
The Delhi government had in June 2021 claimed that doorstep delivery of ration scheme was rejected by the Lt governor saying the Centre’s approval was not sought and that a litigation was pending in the high court regarding it.
“If pizza, burgers, smartphones and clothes can be delivered at home, then why can”t ration be delivered at their doorstep,” Kejriwal asked.
“People are distressed that the central government is fighting everyone. If we fight like this, how will we tackle COVID-19,” the chief minister said in an online briefing.
“The Delhi government did not require the Centre’s approval for the implementation of the scheme, but it sought permission five times to avoid any dispute,” Kejriwal said.
In 2018, Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Gopal Ra held a dharna in the L-G office, alleging that IAS officers posted with the state government were not cooperating with elected representatives and non-approval of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme by Baijal.
Baijal eventually gave his assent to the scheme.
Duel over Delhi riots
In July 2021, Delhi Cabinet rejected Baijal’s recommendation for appointing special public prosecutors suggested by Delhi Police in cases related to violence during the tractor rally on Republic Day and the northeast Delhi riots.
Deptuty chief minister Manish Sisodia also objected to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor holding meetings with officers and instructing them on works that “fall under the purview of the elected government”, saying it was “unconstitutional” and against the 2018 verdict of the Supreme Court.
Row over institutional quarantine order
In June 2020, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Deputy Manish Sisodia in a meeting of Delhi State Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had opposed Baijal’s order for a mandatory five-day institutional quarantine for COVID-19 patients.
Baijal later clarified that institutional quarantine would be required for only those who do not need hospitalisation and do not have adequate facilities for home isolation.
The Lt Governor after the meeting said in a tweet, “Regarding institutional isolation, only those COVID positive cases which do not require hospitalisation on clinical assessment and do not have adequate facilities for home isolation would be required to undergo institutional isolation.”
In another tweet, he said the DDMA approved recommendations of a high-level expert committee for fixing subsidised rates for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals of Delhi.
Fight for reigns of power in Delhi
The tussle between Baijal and the Kejriwal-led AAP government, which accused him of obstruction at the Centre’s behest, reached the Supreme Court in 2018.
The apex court in a landmark verdict said that the L-G has no independent power and was bound by the elected dispensation’s advice.
The court also said that the Lieutenant-Governor should not act as an “adversary having a hostile attitude” towards the government, but act as a facilitator, though he was not a “titular head” and differences of opinion between them should have a “sound rationale” without there being any “phenomenon of an obstructionist”.
Kejriwal had hailed this order as a major victory in his long-running fight for administrative powers to run the National Capital.
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