Manish Sisodia: Delhi bureaucrats defying Supreme Court order

Manish Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday the refusal by senior bureaucrats to comply with Supreme Court ruling on who has the authority to transfer or post officers in Delhi amounted to contempt of court. Addressing reporters here, Sisodia said the government was now seeking legal opinion on the matter.

"The Chief Secretary has written to me saying the services department will not abide by the court's order. This will also create problems for the officers if they do not abide by the order. If the LG, even after the court's order, insists to see the service department file then that is a contempt of court," he said.

"We are consulting our lawyers about what can be done."

The AAP leader said that after the Supreme Court's order, the central government had no control over the service department in the capital.

"But even then, the officers are saying that the (Home Ministry's earlier) orders have not been quashed and that's why they will not comply with the Supreme Court's orders. If the apex court orders something, then there is no scope of not abiding by it," he said.

Sisodia said even after the court's order, if the LG signs on the service department files then he would openly violate the court's orders.

"I believe the LG won't violate the order," he said urging the central government and the LG to cooperate.

The Supreme court, in its order, has also said that everyone should work in cooperation. "Just for a mere technical formality, don't create unconstitutional situation now," he said.

Describing the officer's decision as "unfortunate", he said that the country has a democracy and if officers refuse to comply with the court order, how would the democracy work.

"If the orders of a court, that too the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, are openly violated, then the country would go into a state of chaos. Where will be the law then?" Sisodia asked.

He said the centre, the LG or the officers may not like the court order but they will have to abide by it.

"Two years ago, the High Court gave an order which were not in favour of the Delhi government but even then we said that we will respect and abide by the court's order," he said.

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