The Delhi High Court reserved its decision on a petition by opposition MLAs requesting a session of the Delhi Assembly to discuss several CAG reports. The petitioners argued for urgency due to upcoming elections, while the government and Speaker’s counsel claimed there was no immediate need for tabling the reports given the Assembly’s impending tenure conclusion.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday (Jan 16th) reserved its decision on a petition filed by opposition MLAs demanding a sitting of the Delhi Assembly to table several Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports concerning the city government. Justice Sachin Datta reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from senior lawyers representing the petitioners, the Speaker, and the Delhi government.
The petition, filed by opposition leader Vijender Gupta and six other BJP MLAs—Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Abhay Verma, Anil Kumar Bajpai, and Jitendra Mahajan—seeks a direction to the Speaker to convene an Assembly session for tabling the CAG reports. The petitioners were represented by lawyers Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain.
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The petitioners argued that the CAG reports should be promptly tabled in the Assembly for scrutiny, especially with upcoming elections making the discussion on the audit reports highly relevant. The senior counsel for the petitioners accused the government of “deliberately delaying” the matter, stating,
“The upcoming elections make the placing of these audit reports in the assembly even more pertinent.”
On the other hand, senior lawyers representing the Speaker and the Delhi government opposed the petition, claiming there was “no urgency” in tabling the reports when the Assembly’s tenure was nearing its end, with elections scheduled soon. They argued that internal matters of the legislative assembly are beyond judicial intervention and maintained that the tenure ending in February made tabling the reports unnecessary.
In its reply, the Assembly Secretariat stated that laying the CAG reports before the current Assembly would serve “no useful purpose” at this stage and reiterated that the judiciary cannot interfere in the internal workings of the legislature.
During a prior hearing on January 13, Justice Datta remarked that the CAG reports should have been promptly placed before the Assembly. The court expressed concern over the state government’s inaction, stating,
“Dragging its feet on this issue raises doubts on its bonafides.”
The High Court’s decision on the matter is now awaited. The outcome will determine whether the reports will be tabled before the Assembly’s tenure ends. This case highlights the ongoing tensions between the opposition and the Delhi government regarding transparency and accountability.
Case Title: VIJENDER GUPTA & ORS v. GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI & ORS
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