While addressing the winter session of Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena over the ongoing tussle between the AAP government and the L-G office over sending government school teachers to Finland for training purposes.
"We have the money of the people of Delhi who pay taxes. It is on taxpayers' money that the elected government of Delhi is sending teachers for training to Finland. Who is L-G to stop them," Kejriwal asked.
"It seems like 'Begani Shaadi Mein Abdullah Deewana' (a person who takes too much interest in the affairs of others). Why is the L-G sitting on our head? The L-G is saying get the training done in the country itself...
Why get it done here," the Chief Minister questioned. Kejriwal added that in a bid to motivate them and increase their efficiency, 30 teachers need to go to Finland for training. "This has been decided by the elected Chief Minister and the Education Minister.
But strangely, all the files have go to the L-G for approval. The L-G has objected twice which reflects his bad intentions. "Repeated objections mean that the intention is bad and the teachers should not be allowed to go.
Many MPs have studied abroad, their children have gone abroad to study. Was any cost-benefit analysis done then," Kejriwal asked, adding that it is a feudalistic mentality that the poor are not allowed to move ahead.
"The L-G does not have the power to do this. The Supreme Court had clearly said in 2018 that the L-G does not have the right to take a decision in any matter other than the police, law and order, and services.
I went to meet the L-G two-three days ago and told him the same, to which he said yes, this may be the opinion of the Supreme Court," Kejriwal said. "After this, I had nothing to say because a person sitting on such a big constitutional post is saying that this is the opinion of the Supreme Court.
Every citizen of this country is bound to obey the orders of the Supreme Court," the Chief Minister told the House.