President Pratibha Devi Patil has rejected the recommendation of the Delhi Lokayukta to withdraw her pleasure in the continuation of city PWD minister Raj Kumar Chouhan in the council of ministers for his alleged involvement in pressuring tax officials who were carrying out raids at a resort in the capital.
The Union home ministry on Wednesday conveyed the decision of the President through a letter to Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin.
Although, home minister P. Chidambaram has maintained that the procedure has been followed in dealing with the report, Mr Sarin is reportedly considering the option to table a special report in the Delhi Assembly.
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, however, welcomed the decision of the President and said that Delhi city government’s view on the matter has been endorsed by the highest authority.
However, the Opposition BJP criticised the decision and said that the party is looking at the option of going to the court on the issue. “On the one hand, the Congress Party is giving assurance to the people on bringing stern Lokpal bill, but on the other hand verdict of the Lokayukta of Delhi has been set aside,” said the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, V.K. Malhotra.
Meanwhile, the letter of the MHA stated, “The President has not accepted the findings and recommendations made by the Lokayukta against Mr Chouhan.”
The Delhi government in a report to the Union home ministry in May had given a clean chit to Mr Chouhan. The Lokayukta had indicted Mr Chouhan of misconduct, calling it of grave nature.
The Lokayukta order had come in a case pertaining to Mr Chouhan’s alleged involvement in influencing a team of tax officials when they were carrying out a survey in the Tivoli Garden resort in south Delhi in February 2010.
Mr Chouhan, however, maintained that as public representative he gets lots of calls from people requesting for favours and he only responded to such a call.