Home Ministry issues show cause notice to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary

NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has issued a show-cause notice to senior IAS officer Rajendra Kumar seeking an explanation on why he continued to hold the charge of Delhi's Home Secretary even after an order was issued to him to relinquish the post.

Kumar, who is Principal Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is accused of defying the order of the Home Ministry, which is his cadre-controlling authority.

The action came about a fortnight after the Centre and Delhi government decided against continuation of either Dharam Pal or Rajendra Kumar and agreed to bring in a neutral candidate S N Sahai.

Kumar assumed the charge of Delhi Home Secretary after the city government shifted incumbent senior IAS officer Dharam Pal and placed him at the disposal of the Home Ministry following a tussle between the AAP government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over appointment of Mukesh Meena as chief of Delhi's Anti Corruption Branch.

The Home Ministry has revoked the decision of Delhi government to repatriate its Principal Secretary (Home) and (Land and Buildings) Dharam Pal to the Centre terming it "ab initio void" and asserted that powers to transfer AGMUT cadre officers rests only with the Centre.