‘Acting at BJP’s behest’: AAP calls for removal of MCD Commissioner

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday accused MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar of acting at the behest of the BJP, and imposing financial burdens on Delhi residents without the consent of the elected Mayor.

The party claimed that commercial licence fees had been hiked, and new user charges were levied, all without discussion in the MCD House. The party demanded the Commissioner’s immediate removal.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj led the charge, alleging that the Commissioner’s actions directly contradicted House-approved proposals aimed at offering property tax relief to citizens.

“Despite a clear decision to waive property tax for properties up to 100 square yards, and halve it for those up to 500 square yards, the Commissioner has not implemented it. Instead, user charges have been forcibly imposed, and licence fees have been hiked, all without any consultation,” Bharadwaj said at a press conference on Friday. He accused Kumar of “running the BJP’s agenda within the MCD”, and said if he was not removed, it would prove BJP’s direct involvement.

“We have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting his immediate suspension,” Bharadwaj added.

Echoing the demand, Delhi Mayor Mahesh Kumar Khichi also appealed to the Centre in this regard, accusing Kumar of bypassing the elected House and acting unilaterally.

In a detailed letter to Shah, the Mayor flagged the Commissioner’s alleged indifference towards implementing key House-approved proposals, including the Aam Maafi Yojana for property tax relief and the regularisation of 12,000 contractual MCD employees.

“The people of Delhi are already crushed under inflation. Instead of providing relief, fresh taxes like user charges are being imposed. This is not governance, it is harassment,” Khichi said.

Meanwhile, the BJP pushed back, calling the AAP’s allegations baseless and politically motivated.

In a counter statement, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said AAP was trying to replicate the “anarchic style” of its state government in the MCD.

He alleged that the user surcharge was implemented with the Mayor’s knowledge and accused AAP leaders of shifting the blame onto the Commissioner following public backlash.

“If the Mayor was unaware or opposed to the user charge, why didn’t he issue a written directive for its rollback? Why didn’t he convene a special House meeting to formally reject it?” Kapoor said.

Kapoor accused AAP of paralysing MCD functioning over the past two years, and turning every administrative issue into a political battle.

“Just like their earlier confrontations with the L-G and the Chief Secretary, they’re now targeting the MCD Commissioner,” he said.

Delhi