SC seeks Centre’s reply on AAP Govt’s appeals against HC order

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) The Supreme Court today soughtresponse from the Centre on six appeals filed by ArvindKejriwal-led AAP govt, challenging the Delhi High Courtjudgement holding the Lieutenant Governor as theadministrative head of the national capital. A bench of justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana also refusedto stay the operation of August 4 verdict of the high courtand said it would rather list the matter for final hearing onNovember 15. The bench, which granted six weeks time to the centralgovernment for filing its response to the appeals, also didnot agree with the contention that the decision of LieutenantGovernor to set up a three-member committee to look into thepast decisions of the Delhi government should be stayed. The bench said it may consider referring the petitions toa larger bench after hearing arguments. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre,raised various preliminary objections and sought dismissal ofthe appeals on various grounds, including that instead of asecretary, the deputy chief minister has sworn an affidavit insupport of the petition. "This petition deserves to be dismissed on this groundalone," Rohatgi said, adding that moreover a nine-judgeConstitution bench judgement has already dealt with this issueby holding that Delhi is a Union Territory. Senior advocate K K Venugopal, who represented Delhigovernment, said the minister had to swear the affidavitbecause of the effect of the judgement that there has to be aprior consent of LG in every decision of the government. "No public servant is willing to sign the papers," hesaid. The Delhi Government had sought an urgent hearing on theappeals after which it was fixed for today. On September 2, the Delhi government had informed SupremeCourt that it has filed six different pleas challenging theDelhi HC order and withdrawn its civil suit seekingdeclaration of the national capital as a full State. The court had allowed the AAP government to withdraw thecivil suit and given the liberty to raise the issues raised init in the Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) it has filed. (More)PTI SJK PKS RKS SKVARC