Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung on Thursday resigned and said that he wants to return to his “first love, academics”.
Jung’s two-year tenure was dogged by his constant battle with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party government.
In a statement, Jung thanked “the people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year’s President Rule in Delhi, when he got unstinted support from them and which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly.”
In his resignation letter, Delhi LG thanked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. LG jung also thanked people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year president rule in the national capital.
He said he got unstinted support from them, which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly.
In his resignation letter Jung said he was returning to academics and thanked Kejriwal for their association over the last two years.
BJP spokesperson RP Singh said the resignation came as a surprise, but added that it was not entirely sudden given the extent of his friction with CM Kejriwal.
He assumed office on July 9, 2013.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had observed that “an elected government should have some power to run, otherwise the government cannot function.”
The centre and Jung said because Delhi is not a state, the Lieutenant Governor has special powers, an argument accepted by the Delhi High Court which, in August, ruled against Kejriwal. The court said that Jung is the administrative head of the capital and has to sign off on government decisions.
Kejriwal challenged that verdict in the Supreme Court, which will hear his appeal in January.
