Arvind Kejriwal dares Centre to go to court if it’s against DDCA probe

New Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that if the Centre has any problem with the appointment of inquiry commission to probe alleged irregularities in DDCA, it should go to court and reiterated that the AAP government will not step back from its decision.

"We will not back off our decision. If MHA has any problem with Delhi government's notification to appoint Commission of Inquiry to probe alleged irregularities in DDCA, it may approach High Court," the Delhi Chief Minister said here.

Kejriwal said that an elected government of Delhi has power to constitute Commission of Inquiry and Centre cannot declare the probe panel "null and void".

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Kejriwal's remark comes a few days after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung sought Centre's intervention, questioning the legality of appointment of inquiry panel.

"In a communication to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the LG has stated that the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 empowers only the Centre and state governments to appoint a commission of inquiry.

"Since, Delhi is a Union Territory, a commission of inquiry may be ordered only with the concurrence of the Centre, through the LG," sources had said.

Yesterday, Kejriwal claimed that action amounts to "unjustified interference" as the inquiry is "perfectly" legal and Union Minister Arun Jaitley should cooperate with the inquiry commission and stop "misusing" the LG office.

"We are not scared when all the agencies under them including police CBI, DRI are after us, why are they scared with one commission of enquiry," he had said.

Delhi government had earlier this week appointed a Commission of Inquiry, headed by former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, to probe alleged corruption in Delhi and

District Cricket Association (DDCA) between 1992 and 2015, and asked it to submit its report within three months.

The government had said that the one-member Commission of Inquiry will identify any acts of omission and commission by DDCA and its office-bearers during the period between January 1, 1992 and November 30, 2015 and fix responsibility.

The state cricket body had been headed by Jaitley for around 13 years from 1999 to 2013.