Your statements are misleading, derogatory: Delhi L-G writes to Kejriwal
What's the story
Following Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's remarks in the Delhi Assembly asking who the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) is and where he has come from, L-G VK Saxena wrote to him, suggesting he refer to the Constitution to find the answers.
In the letter, Saxena accused Kejriwal of making "untrue and derogatory" statements after the latter marched to the L-G's residence, alleging interference in his governance.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The AAP-led Delhi government and the L-G are at loggerheads with the former accusing the L-G of impeding its functioning at the behest of the BJP-led Central government, while Saxena blames the Delhi government for not fulfilling its responsibilities.
The AAP supremo on Monday marched from the Assembly to Saxena's residence, accusing him of blocking a proposal for government teachers' training in Finland.
Letter
Very low level of discourse, alleged Saxena
In a caustic four-page response to Kejriwal, Saxena wrote that the other questions raised by the former don't deserve a reply as they cater to a very low level of discourse.
He taunted Kejriwal, saying that even as the city is grappling with serious developmental issues, the latter staged a protest solely for posturing rather than meeting him to reach a logical conclusion.
Twitter Post
The full letter
Delhi LG's letter to CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/PuGAwnX1al
— Ashish Kumar Singh (ABP News) (@AshishSinghLIVE) January 20, 2023
Lunch
Would have loved to meet you, serve you lunch: L-G
After marching to Saxena's residence with Delhi's lawmakers, Kejriwal claimed he refused to meet them. Saxena said he invited Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, adding he would have also served them lunch.
But Kejriwal refused, saying he wanted to meet Saxena with his MLAs, which Saxena said wouldn't be possible.
He then used the 'refusal' to make "a convenient political posture," Saxena claimed.
Headmaster
Not acting like headmaster, but people's voice: Saxena
Kejriwal earlier said that the L-G was acting as a headmaster, checking his homework. To this, Saxena said he felt the need to bring some issues to the Delhi government's attention to help it comprehend and deal with them.
He said he was not acting like a headmaster but "a benign yet conscientious voice of the people" that derives its sanctity from the Constitution.
Education
Saxena tore into AAP government's claims of improving school education
Countering the AAP's claim of unprecedented development in Delhi's school education infrastructure, he said no new schools were built in Delhi in the last eight years despite allotting land to the Delhi education department.
He said adding classrooms to existing schools and counting toilets as classrooms don't amount to opening new schools, adding that the performance of about one-third of students was "barely basic."
Information
Didn't reject Finland proposal, claims L-G
The L-G didn't pass the government's proposal for the training of Delhi's government teachers in Finland but asked it to do a cost-benefit analysis. Saxena clarified that he never rejected the proposal, he only asked the government to include the expenditure details in the proposal.