Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday requested the President of India to remove Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena from his post due to the criminal proceedings against him in a case dating back to 2002. AAP Senior Leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Smt Reena Gupta revealed that the nature of the case against VK Saxena is a serious one as he is charged with inciting violence and rioting at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, a place that is synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi, an icon of peaceful protest and nonviolence.
Shri Sanjay Singh also hit out at the LG for writing a letter to the court and falsely claiming that his rank and designation is higher than that of Governors and LG’s of other centrally-administered territories and therefore he should be exempted from prosecution in the case in which he is referred to as Accused No. 4. He also said that the LG has been booked under sections 143, 147, 321, 341 and 506 of the IPC in the case.
Elaborating on the case, Shri Sanjay Singh said that the court had asked LG Vinai Saxena to appear before it on March 9th to present his side of the case. However, in response, the LG wrote a letter to the court stating that his position and responsibilities are greater than those of Governors and LGs of other Union Territories and therefore, he should be exempted from appearing in court. The senior AAP leader added that the LG thinks so highly of himself and almost believes that he is as powerful as the President of India. He also pointed out that if he was exempted from prosecution in the case then the judge would have been aware of it and would not have sent the notice in the first place. He also said that he has appealed to the President of India to take note of this matter and direct the LG to take part in the proceedings of the court in this case.
Speaking further on the matter, the senior AAP leader said that he was shocked by the response of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and accused him of trying to mislead the court. He slammed the LG for thinking very highly of himself and refusing to accept an order of the court. Providing details of the case in which the FIR was registered against the LG in 2002, he pointed out the grave charges against him and asked how a person who is accused of inciting violence, assault, and causing disturbance can be appointed as the LG of Delhi. He further pointed out that such an act by him occurred at Sabarmati Ashram, a place that is associated with Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence.
Shri Sanjay Singh said that a few days ago, LG Vinai Saxena refused to appoint Mukesh Goyal as the Presiding Officer of the MCD saying that an FIR is registered against him. Since there are many cases registered against Vinai Saxena, how can he continue to be the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, he asked.
Taking a potshot at Vinai Saxena, the AAP Rajya Sabha MP said that the LG thinks so highly of himself that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi would feel insecure. “I think now even the position of Prime Minister Modi is in danger. I have only heard of the positions of President, Vice President, and Prime Minister until now. But LG Vinai Saxena is saying that he comes directly under the President now. He is saying that there is the position of President, then there is his post, and then the position of Vice President, and after that, the position of Prime Minister. Shri Vinay Saxena has the gall to say that his post is higher than governors, and a little below the President.”
Speaking on this matter, AAP leader Smt Reena Gupta said that usually the position of the LG of Delhi is held by retired IAS and IPS officers who have an understanding of the constitution. “But this time around Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed a person who is accused of harassing a woman, and this is extremely shameful,” she said.
She further said that the appointment of Vinai Saxena, a person with a questionable character, is not only an insult to the women of Delhi but also to the office of the Lieutenant Governor. ‘The BJP’s decision to appoint someone with such a mentality towards women shows that the party has no respect for women’s rights,” she added.
She further added that it is not a surprise that under VK Saxena, the incidents of crime against women have only increased in Delhi. She said that every other day we keep hearing of some case or the other of violence against women in the city. She said that it is time the President of India, who is herself a woman, removes a person like VK Saxena from the post of the LG and appoint an individual who can ensure the safety and security of women in Delhi.
