Kejriwal firm on attending Singapore Summit after Delhi LG rejects proposal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remains firm about his decision to attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore on August 1 even though Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has rejected his government’s proposal for the same, advising him that the event is meant only for mayors and wouldn’t be befitting for a chief minister.

After his proposal was rejected by Saxena, Kejriwal has now written to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking “political clearance” to attend the event, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

Kejriwal has said that he would attend the event despite being refused clearance, arguing that if one goes by the logic of the LG, then even the “Prime Minister wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.”

“Human life is not compartmentalised into the subjects mentioned in the three lists of the Constitution. If the visit of each constitutional authority in our country were to be decided on the basis of what subjects fall within the jurisdiction of that authority, it would create a funny situation and practical logjam. Then the Prime Minister would not be able to go anywhere because in most of his visits, he also discusses subjects which which fall in state list and do not fall in his jurisdiction,” Kejriwal said in a letter to the LG.

Singapore’s High Commissioner Simon Wong had invited Kejriwal to the event in June.

Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party chief (AAP) had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his permission to attend the summit after his clearance was delayed.

In his letter, Kejriwal had said that it was “against the interest of the country to stop a chief minister from visiting such an important stage.”

On Thursday, the LG returned Kejriwal’s proposal, stating that the event will cover different aspects of urban governance, which fall under the authority of MCD, DDA and NDMC besides the local city administration, and as the Delhi government doesn’t have exclusive control over these issues, there is no point in the chief minister attending the event.

“This is the program of the mayor, the Chief Minister should not go into it,” Saxena had said.

Kejriwal, however, said he differs with the opinion of the LG, urging him to apply for “political clearance from the Central government.”

“The LG has advised Kejriwal to not attend the conference since it is a conference of mayors. The chief ministers of other states have attended this conference in the past. Even the prime minister goes for state-related issues. This is mean politics at work,” Sisodia told the media.