The Delhi government on Thursday approached the Supreme Court seeking to withdraw seven pending cases filed during the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime that challenged the powers and authority of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) in various administrative matters, including those concerning solid waste management and the cleaning of the Yamuna river.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh agreed to list the matter on Friday after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the BJP-led Delhi government, submitted the withdrawal request.
“These matters should not trouble this court anymore,” ASG Bhati told the bench, indicating the government’s decision to step back from legal disputes initiated during the previous dispensation.
Among the cases sought to be withdrawn is a high-profile matter where the Supreme Court had, in July 2023, stayed a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that appointed the L-G as head of a high-level committee for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna. The NGT had noted that Delhi contributes around 75% of the total pollution in the river and emphasized the need for high-level coordination among government bodies.
In its January 2023 order, the tribunal had directed: “We request the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, who is the chairman of DDA and the administrator of Delhi under Article 239 of the Constitution, to head the committee.” The Delhi government under the AAP had contested this directive, asserting that it undermined the elected government’s administrative powers.
The other cases pertain to disputes over the L-G’s role in key policy committees and the validity of certain laws and ordinances enacted during the tenure of the AAP government.
The bench, while acknowledging the submission, said it would hear the government’s plea for withdrawal on Friday.
This move signals a shift in the current administration’s approach to centre-state governance dynamics in the national capital, with possible implications for pending constitutional questions around the L-G’s role under Article 239AA.
