New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) The BJP-led Delhi Government has approached the Supreme Court seeking to withdraw seven petitions filed during the tenure of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime challenging the constitutional authority and role of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in various government bodies and decisions.
Appearing before a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that the Delhi Government now seeks to withdraw all seven pending cases.
“These matters should not trouble this Court anymore,” submitted ASG Bhati while requesting the court to take the withdrawal request on record.
Responding to the submission, the Supreme Court bench directed the matter to be listed on Friday for further consideration.
One of the seven cases included in the withdrawal plea relates to the Supreme Court’s earlier stay on the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) direction that had appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi as the Chairman of a High-Level Committee constituted for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River.
The AAP government, under whose tenure the appeal was filed, had challenged this appointment under Section 22 of the NGT Act, contending that the order violated the constitutional scheme governing Delhi's administration.
It argued that the LG is only a constitutional figurehead, with real executive power limited to three subjects: police, public order, and land and therefore, the NGT’s decision undermined the elected government's authority.
The Supreme Court will now consider the BJP-led government's request to formally withdraw the cases on the next scheduled hearing.
UNI SNG RN