Seven BJP MLAs have petitioned the Delhi High Court regarding the AAP government’s 490-day delay in presenting 14 CAG reports to the Assembly, demanding accountability. The court criticized the delay, seeking clarity on legislative procedures. The next hearing is scheduled for January 16, as the government faced backlash for repeated postponements and uncooperative tactics.
New Delhi: Seven BJP Members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court questioning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government’s delay of approximately 490 days in tabling 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports before the State Assembly. The BJP leaders are demanding accountability and timely action to uphold the constitutional mandate.
During the hearing, the Delhi High Court, led by Justice Sachin Datta, sharply criticized the AAP government for the prolonged delay. The Court sought clarity on legislative procedures, including the definitions of prorogation and dissolution of the Assembly, the timing of the last prorogation, and its implications for the pending reports.
Justice Datta remarked,
“So the position now is, even if with some delay, the CAG reports have been forwarded to the Speaker, and you want to have a session immediately by mandamus.”
The petitioners—Vijender Gupta, Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, and Jitender Mahajan—called for the CAG reports to be sent to the Assembly Speaker and a special session convened for discussion and deliberation.
Represented by Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, the BJP MLAs argued that the delayed submission violated Articles 149 and 151 of the Constitution, emphasizing the importance of parliamentary transparency in a democracy.
Previously, the Delhi government had assured the Court that the CAG reports would be tabled within two to three days following approval by the Lieutenant Governor (LG). Despite these assurances, delays persisted, prompting BJP MLAs to return to the Court.
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Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, stated that Chief Minister Atishi had written to the Legislative Assembly Secretary regarding tabling one of the reports on “Performance Audit Report on Children in Need of Care and Protection.” He added that the remaining reports would follow soon.
The LG’s office criticized the AAP government for continued delays, describing the tactics as uncooperative. Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly argued that the CAG reports are for detailed scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and not meant for immediate public release.
The affidavit filed by the Delhi government on January 7 suggested that tabling the reports now may not serve any purpose and proposed waiting until after the upcoming elections to form a new PAC for examining the reports.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for January 16, where the matter will be further deliberated.
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