Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is on a collision course with the state Governor Kamla Beriwal after she appointed a retired High Court judge R A Mehta as the Lokayukta, bypassing the government.
This notification was challenged by the Modi government.
The critical post had been lying vacant for seven years. While the BJP government was upset, the Opposition Congress welcomed the move.
In 2003, the last Gujarat Lokayukta SM Soni retired. It took the Modi government three years to approve a replacement suggestion. But three years later, the then Gujarat Governor rejected the suggestion on technical grounds.
Since then the Opposition Congress says it has submitted four suggestions but the BJP government says Opposition's lack of cooperation held up the appointment.
Meanwhile, a petition has been filed by father of murdered RTI activist Amit Jethwa seeking answers from Modi government on delays in the appointment of the Lokayukta. The plea will come up for hearing in court today.
