Delhi Information and Publicity Minister Atishi has issued a show cause notice to the department’s secretary and director for publishing an advertisement in a newspaper without Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s photograph, a potential fresh point of confrontation between the ruling AAP and the city’s bureaucracy. The notice issued on Tuesday asks the officials to explain within three days why the cost of the advertisement should not be recovered from their salaries as it was published without the approval of the minister in charge.
According to PTI, in a note dated August 14, the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) objected to the putting up of the chief minister’s photo, saying Independence Day is not like any other festival and is not an event to showcase individuals, especially in unprecedented circumstances when the person in question is an undertrial prisoner who is in judicial custody according to due process of law.
Chief Minister Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody since his arrest on March 21 in connection with the excise policy case.
According to the documents, on August 14, Atishi directed the department to publish a full-page advertisement like last year and approved the creative plan with Kejriwal’s photo. The minister had said that the chief minister is the head of the democratically elected government of Delhi and his photo symbolises the values of democracy and freedom.
According to the show cause notice, he specifically directed that no other constructive scheme other than the one approved by him shall be released by the DIP. The show cause notice states that despite this direction, the DIP released a half-page advertisement without the CM’s photo on August 15, which is a complete violation of the instructions of the minister-in-charge which amounts to willful disobedience and gross disobedience.
It said the entire process was compromised and procedurally invalid. Citing relevant rules under the Delhi Government Act, 1991, the notice said the Information and Broadcasting Minister is the competent authority to take decisions or pass directions and is primarily responsible for the disposal of business relating to the DIP.
The notice claimed that the DIP secretary and director had violated the GNCTD Act, Article 239 AA of the Constitution, the Supreme Court judgment of July 4, 2018, as well as relevant rules of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and asked them to show cause as to why action should not be taken against them.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)