Dilli Ka Babu: Changes afoot?

Dilli never settles down, especially its rumour mills. Since last month, there has been much speculation that Delhi Police commissioner B.S. Bassi is looking for an out, though he still has six months to go in his tenure. There are now hints that Mr Bassi, who is also engaged in a loud and often public tussle with state chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, could most likely pitch to be the next chief information commissioner (CIC) after Vijay Sharma, who is retiring on December 1. Some indication that Mr Bassi is looking at the exit comes from reports of a power tussle underway among top-cops to replace him.

There are also strong rumours that after many iterations Gujarat cadre Indian Administrative Service officer and a Modi confidante Girish Murmu is aboutto be named the next director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Currently, the ED is being looked after by Indian Police Service officer Karnal Singh, who was given the charge after Rajan Katoch’s removal. Apparently, the government was waiting for the Supreme Court’s order in the Sanjiv Bhatt case, in which Bhatt had sought an inquiry against Mr Murmu among others. The petition being dismissed, sources say, means that the path has now been cleared for Mr Murmu to take up his long awaited ED assignment.

Another flashpoint

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Dilli loves a scrap with the Centre and there seem to be no dearth of issues.The appointment of M.K. Meena as the chief of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has been a bone of contention between chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung. Mr Meena has, however, managed to hold his ground. But the state government too has shown no signs of giving up. It has now threatened an inquiry of allegations of negligence and “illegal acts with malafide intention” against the babu.

Further, the Modi government at the Centre has transferred VAT commissioner Vijay Kumar without consultations with the state government. According to AAP leaders, Mr Kumar was performing well and cracking down on tax evaders in the capital. It is now being alleged that Mr Kumar was moved out to Lakshadweep by the Central government under pressure from the powerful trader lobby. The state government seems determined to rake up Mr Kumar’s transfer as another example of the Centre’s “dictatorship”.