Today, the Supreme Court of India said that, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor VK Saxena need to rise above political bickering and get down to the serious business of governance in Delhi.

The Court asked both of them to sit together and decide unanimously on the next the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) Chief. 

Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Delhi government’s petition challenging the DERC chairperson’s appointment along with the State’s challenge to the Centre’s services ordinance on Monday.

Earlier, the bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud, also comprised Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra allowed AAP government not to proceed, giving oath to justice (retd) Umesh Kumar, the newly appointed chief of DERC, had said the matter would come up on July 17. 

Delhi government’s petition questioning the June 21 order of the Centre appointing former Allahabad high court judge as DERC chairperson also seeks to challenge the ordinance that gives the Centre power to take over appointments to commissions and bodies under Delhi government under Section 45D of the newly promulgated Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Ordinance), 2023].

Following July 4, the top court heard a substantial petition filed by the Delhi government on July 10 challenging the entire ordinance. The court agreed to consider interim orders for the stay of the ordinance on Monday. It gave two weeks to the Centre and the L-G to file a comprehensive response defending the validity of the ordinance after the Delhi government alleged that the ordinance flew in the face of the top court’s May 11 judgment which held services under the subjects on the State List will stay with the Delhi government.

Appearing for the Delhi government in the DERC matter, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi last week told the court that the Centre was yet to file its response. The court told the Centre to file its response by the next date.