Centre scraps panel to probe Delhi and District Cricket Association as illegal

The DDCA (Delhi and District Cricket Association) scam continues to make headlines all over the country as allegations and counter-allegations fly in every direction. On January 4, Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung wrote to the Delhi government, striking down a panel set up by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration to probe alleged corruptions in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

On December 31 AAP used an interview of current India captain Virat Kohli to prove the spoilt state of affairs in the DDCA at the time when it had been headed by current Union Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley.

In a letter to the Delhi chief secretary, the Lieutenant Governor’s office said that the Union home ministry had held the commission of inquiry set up by the AAP government as illegal and unconstitutional.

Delhi government not competent to set up such an inquiry commission: Home Ministry

According to earlier reports the home ministry had declared the one-person commission “null and void” because only the Centre and states were allowed to form a commission of inquiry. The commission is headed by noted lawyer Gopal Subramaniam.

As Delhi is a special state and also the capital of the country with no powers to regulate land and police and partial control over services matters, it couldn’t constitute such a panel.

A ministry source said, “The home ministry has conveyed its decision to the Lieutenant Governor. A policy has been decided that the Delhi government is not competent to set up such an inquiry commission.”

The view in the home ministry was that the Delhi government issued that notification without Lieutenant Governor’s approval. According to the Constitution the city government was not competent to constitute such an inquiry.

An earlier commission of inquiry installed by the Delhi government to look into the CNG fitness certificate issue was also declared null and void. The ministry held the Delhi government was not a competent authority to set up this kind of inquiry under the provisions of the Constitution and the Commission of Inquiry Act of 1952.

But despite the adverse decision, the Delhi government refused to disband the Aggarwal commission of inquiry and the issue of its validity is now pending in Delhi High-court.

Governor Secretariat writes to Delhi Govt, says Committee set up on #DDCA issue is unconstitutional and illegal pic.twitter.com/Yax1g3L23A

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 8, 2016