The suspension of two Delhi government officials—the Sub-Registrar of Kapashera and the Tehsildar of Mehrauli—sparked a heated exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's authority to enact such measures, highlighting inconsistencies in administrative powers. This incident underscores ongoing tensions in Delhi's governance structure.

Bharadwaj sarcastically questioned whether Delhi operates like a "banana republic," emphasizing that during AAP's tenure, the elected government lacked the power to suspend officers. He noted that suspensions were handled through recommendations from the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) to the Lieutenant Governor (LG), who held final decision-making authority. Bharadwaj's remarks were in response to a note from the Chief Minister's Office confirming the actions.

Under the previous AAP administration, the LG, as the central government's representative, exercised control over such matters, often overriding the elected body's input. Bharadwaj referenced this history to argue that the current BJP-led government appears to be assuming powers it criticized in the past. He shared historical news reports to support his claim, including a 2016 Ministry of Home Affairs statement denying suspension authority to the elected Delhi government.

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Chief Minister Gupta defended the suspensions, stating that her administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and negligence. She asserted that any officer found involved in misconduct forfeits their right to continue in service. The officials in question faced action following multiple complaints, according to official sources.

This dispute reflects a long-standing conflict over bureaucratic control in Delhi between the BJP-ruled central government and the AAP, which governed for 11 years until its defeat in the 2025 elections. The friction has frequently led to public confrontations, with the latest episode reigniting debates on the division of powers in the national capital.

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