NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s Planning Department has rejected DDCD vice chairman Jasmine Shah’s request seeking an additional 10 days to respond to a complaint of “misuse of public office” against him, sources said on Wednesday. Shah was given time till October 28 to submit his reply, they said.
The Planning Department had issued a show cause notice to Shah on October 17 on allegations of “misuse of public office” against him based on a complaint by BJP leader Parvesh Verma.“Initially, Shah was given a week’s time to submit his reply. He had sought 10 more days (to reply to the notice) after he failed to do so within the stipulated time but he has been asked to submit his reply by October 28,” said a source.
In his complaint dated September 13, Verma had alleged that “while working as Vice Chairperson, Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD), Jasmine Shah has acted as official spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party for political gains, which is in violation of established procedures...”. An inquiry in the matter was carried out by the Planning Department, which is the administrative department in-charge of the DDCD.
After ‘thoroughly analysing various video footage of Shah’s presence in TV programmes, transcript of press conferences addressed by him and news reports in newspapers, news portals’, the department prima facie found that he was using his government office and other perks to “further an extremely partisan political agenda, specifically contrary to the laid down norms for conduct of a public servant”, the sources said. Defending Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said earlier that only the Cabinet could question the DDCD vice chairman as it had appointed him and the lieutenant governor had no power in the matter.