File affidavit in HC against Delhi govt’s ‘false statements’: L-G to chief secy

The Delhi government did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

“I am constrained to note that this matter was inordinately delayed despite it being monitored by Hon’ble Delhi High Court… and directions issued… on 26.08.2022 to decide the matter within 4 weeks and again on 20.01.2023 for completing the process of taking over of the schools by 17.02.2023,” Saxena stated in his note to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“What is astonishing to note here is that the government through its counsel repeatedly misled the Hon’ble High Court on two different occasions… on 18.11.2022 and 17.02.2023,” he added.

On November 18, 2022, Saxena stated that the government counsel had earlier submitted that the file was pending before the L-G, following which the Delhi HC was constrained to “request” him to expedite it. On February 17, the government counsel, Saxena stated, went on to “mislead the Court” saying that the file was still pending before the L-G. “As a matter of fact, the file was submitted to my office for consideration only on 28.03.2023, more than 4 months after false assertions made before the Hon ‘ble High Court, in this case,” Saxena stated.

Saxena told the CM that the AAP government and his colleagues in the council of ministers seemed to have developed “an unfortunate and deplorable tendency” of “blatantly misleading” on all fora by making “substantially baseless and patently false statements and undertakings” furnished by ministers and the government through its counsels “with impunity” amounting to “defamation and perjury.”

Meanwhile, taking strong exception to allegations that he sought to stall the Delhi government’s flagship power subsidy scheme, Saxena asked Kejriwal to “show any document” that establishes that he had suggested withdrawing the scheme in the capital. The government did not issue a response on the matter.