HC seeks responses on plea against appointment of minorities’ panel head

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the Centre, the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government on a plea seeking that no one be appointed to

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the Centre, the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government on a plea seeking that no one be appointed to the post of Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman which became vacant recently.

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A bench comprising chief justice DN Patel and justice Prateek Jalan issued a notice to the authorities and sought their stand on the application by August 31, which has contended that since the constitutional validity of the DMC Act has been challenged in the high court, no one should be appointed to head the commission till the matter is decided.

The application has been filed by Vikram Gahlot, a social worker, who, in his main petition, has challenged the constitutional validity of the Act under which the commission has been set up.

Advocate Dhananjai Jain, appearing for Gahlot, told the court that as the constitutional validity of the Act has been challenged, no one ought to be appointed to head the commission.

Gahlot challenged the constitutional validity of the DMC Act in the wake of allegedly controversial social media posts made by the commission’s former chairman Zafarul Islam Khan.

Gahlot, in his petition, contended that the Delhi Legislative Assembly did not have the powers to enact the DMC Act and therefore, the statute be declared ultra vires of the Constitution and struck down.

He has also contended that since the Act was not valid, the appointments made under it, including that of the chairman, would also be invalid.