Najeeb Jung, government rift set to widen over removal of House secretary

The ongoing turf war between lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung and the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation reached the House over the removal of Assembly secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevra, who is on deputation from the All-India Radio. The House on Friday passed a resolution for Mr Suryadevra to continue to discharge his duties as the Assembly secretary despite the L-G’s order for his repatriation. Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel termed the L-G’s “unilateral” order to relieve Mr Suryadevra as “unconstitutional” and warned Mr Jung to stay away from the affairs of the House.

Mr Suryadevra, who is employed as a newsreader with the All-India Radio, had come on deputation as the Delhi Assembly secretary. In past, he has served in Parliament for 12 years. According to the Speaker, his deputation was initially for one year which was then extended to two years. Mr Goel added that he had requested AIR for Mr Suryadevra’s inclusion on temporary basis, but AIR expressed its inability to do so citing staff crunch. Upon AIR’s request to relieve Mr Suryadevra, the Delhi government on August 29 had relieved him of his duties, but Mr Goel had not relieved him from the Assembly Secretariat.

Mr Goel added that he had tried to speak to the L-G on the matter, but he had refused. The Speaker said that he had then written a letter to the L-G making him aware of the supremacy of the Legislative Assembly that Mr Jung has no rights to interfere in the matters of the Assembly and he should stay away from it.